Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Lawyers make final points in Ashland Little Caesars arson case ... Jackson County company among first to win recreational pot license ... Man accused of threatening to kill Obama won't get bail ... Lawyers make final points in Ashland Little Caesars arson case ... Jackson County company among first to win recreational pot license ... Man accused of threatening to kill Obama won't get bail ... ARSON TRIAL Little Caesars shop owner testifies he had no incentive to blow up Ashland business McAlister says he had no incentive to blow up business Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 2, 2016 at 6:21 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 2, 2016 at 6:21 PM » Social News A former Little Caesars franchise owner on trial for allegedly conspiring to blow up his Ashland restaurant testified he had no financial incentive to destroy the business. Called to the witness stand Monday by his defense lawyer, Medford resident Mark Alan McAlister said he had a standard Little Caesars business insurance policy that if the business were destroyed, he would have to rebuild it and then get compensated for the rebuilding costs. He testified he also had lease insurance that benefited the owner of the building — not him — if the building were damaged. McAlister, 52, faces three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson for allegedly plotting with handyman Brian Vernon Morris to destroy the business. In October 2015, Morris pleaded guilty to damaging a natural gas line that fed into a water heater in February 2014 at the business. Twisted and bent in multiple places, the gas pipeline was introduced into evidence at McAlister's trial. According to trial testimony, Morris left burning items, including a candle, for three nights in a row in an effort to ignite gas at the restaurant. "I think it's B.S.," McAlister said on the witness stand about the claims made by Morris. McAlister said he had taken pity on Morris and hired him to do odd jobs at the restaurant and at a barn. McAlister said Morris told him he was always broke. McAlister testified he invested $250,000 in the franchise at 561 Walker Ave., behind Market of Choice and not far from Southern Oregon University. After Little Caesars discovered he was being investigated for the alleged attempted arson, business officials threatened to take away his franchise license. McAlister said he was only able to get $50,000 out of the business and lost a substantial amount of money because of the investigation. An SOU graduate who retired from a career teaching in Alaska, McAlister said he received $41,000 per year plus medical care as his retirement benefits. He described himself as a lifetime hard worker who continued to invest in businesses after retiring. McAlister said he had hoped to open more Little Caesars franchises in the region and said the Ashland location was doing well. The prosecution has said the Ashland business was in financial trouble. McAlister testified Little Caesars corporate officials told him to pick the Ashland location behind Market of Choice, although he had some misgivings about vacancies in the complex. He also testified a previous Little Caesars franchise owner told him Ashland was not a good place for the business because of anti-corporate attitudes in town. McAlister said the Little Caesars corporation took 9 percent of gross sales from franchise owners. Owners were required to meet precise criteria — ranging from the number of pepperoni slices allowed on each pizza to cleanliness standards to a ban on people using the back door of franchises. "They want it to be successful," he said. McAlister said finding employees was often difficult for his low-wage, food service business. "It's very difficult finding workers these days who actually want to work," he said. McAlister became tearful on the stand and the court took a short recess when he said his wife found out she had cancer and underwent surgery shortly before the alleged arson attempt. He said he and his wife had not been spending as much time at their franchise. McAlister said he did not think the restaurant could ever fill with natural gas and blow up because Little Caesars required a high volume of freshly ventilated air be pumped into the building to help dough rise. "I think it's theoretically impossible," he said. Closing arguments in the trial, which started last week, could come Tuesday. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted May. 2, 2016 at 6:21 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501