Charges filed in Northwoods arson case

MARINETTE COUNTY - A Suring man already accused in several arson cases is now facing even more charges.
    
Federal prosecutors filed charges against 29-year-old Drew Christensen.
    
Also charged, two of Christensen's friends. Jessica Miller, 38, and her boyfriend Donald Halbur, Junior, 35. Both are from Crivitz.

According to federal charges filed Tuesday, Drew Christensen, Jessica Miller and Donald Halbur, Junior set fire to a bar in Bagley in Oconto County in early July of last year.

The government says Miller, who owned the bar, wanted the insurance money.

And according to Marinette County court records, the trio is also facing charges for a similar incident.

It had worked before in the town of Stephenson.

That's where investigators say Christensen admitted to having set fire to Miller's home on Schroeder Lane in June of 2011. As a favor.

The purpose? So she could collect the insurance money on it to buy a bar.

According to the criminal complaint, Miller told Marinette County investigators she was going through a divorce and was behind on her mortgage.

She also wanted to move in with her boyfriend, Halbur.

Court documents say Allstate paid out nearly $270,000 for the home.

The complaint states Miller says Christensen offered to burn down the house, and didn't want any money to do so.

Christensen has been accused in several other arsons.

He's facing two federal charges for allegedly starting fires at the Everbreeze Bar and Resort in Mountain in 2009, and the Klondike Community Church in Brazeau in March of 2012.

Oconto County authorities say Christensen set fire to a trailer home in August 2011 and a garage in January 2012. Both fires were in Bagley.

According to an Oconto County criminal complaint, Christensen told state investigators he started several of the fires.

The Department of Justice declined FOX 11's request for an interview.

Oconto County investigators were not available, but did tell FOX 11 the sheriff's department is still investigating Christensen.

The three are scheduled to be in federal court in Green Bay next Tuesday.
    
Christensen's defense attorney Shane Brabazon tells FOX 11 he was unaware of the federal filings and declined to comment further.
   
Miller and Halbur's defense attorneys did not return our calls.