Feras Rahman faces 2.5 years in prison in Pizza Man fire case

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Feras Rahman was sentenced Monday, March 11th to two-and-a-half years in prison in connection with the fire that destroyed the Pizza Man restaurant.

The five-alarm fire in January of 2010 at Oakland and North took a lot of resources to battle, including about 155 firefighters.

When it was all over, the iconic Pizza Man restaurant and three other businesses and some apartments were destroyed. The damage was estimated at $3 million.

Rahman, the owner of the Black & White Cafe, one of the businesses destroyed, was charged with arson, mail fraud and lying to investigators.

Last year, a jury acquitted him of arranging or starting the fire, and of mail fraud.

Rahman was convicted of lying to investigators, when he said his computer was destroyed by the fire when it was later found in his home.

For that on Monday a federal judge sentenced him to 30 months in prison. Rahman is free on supervised release while is case is being appealed.

Pizza Man is reopening this summer on the corner of North Downer Avenue and East Belleview Place.