Sevier County Arson Suspect Set for Court Appearance This Week

DE QUEEN — A Sevier County man charged in connection with a fire that caused more than $5 million in damage to Gentry Chevrolet last year is scheduled to return to court this week.

Charlie Moss, 39, is set to appear in Sevier County Circuit Court on Thursday, June 25, for a pretrial hearing. A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin July 15.

Moss and co-defendant Trent Walker Gentry, 27, are each charged with one count of arson involving damages of $100,000 or more, a Class Y felony. Both men have pleaded not guilty and were released after posting $150,000 bonds.

The charges stem from a fire that broke out around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 3 at Gentry Chevrolet in De Queen. The blaze heavily damaged the dealership’s service department and destroyed multiple vehicles, resulting in more than $5 million in damages.

According to investigators, surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed two vehicles arriving at the dealership shortly before the fire began. Authorities later identified the vehicles as belonging to Moss and Gentry.

The investigation involved the Arkansas State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and a private investigator hired by the dealership’s insurance carrier.

Gentry’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 8, with his jury trial currently set for the week of Oct. 26.

As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.