Davenport wine store owner charged with arson

By Dustin Lemmon | Monday, August 25, 2008

The owner of WineStyles in Davenport is facing criminal charges for allegedly trying to blow up her store last year.

Beverly Flinchum, 44, of 5001 Sheridan St., Davenport, is charged with first-degree arson and second-degree fraudulent practices. She appeared Monday in Scott County District Court and was released from custody after posting $25,000 bond.

The charges stem from an Aug. 18, 2007, fire at WineStyles, 4866 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport. According to the charges against Flinchum, her husband is a co-defendant in the case but there was no record of charges being filed against him as of Monday.

Davenport Fire Chief Mark Frese said investigators have been trying to get in contact with Flinchum’s husband.

The charges do not identify Flinchum’s husband by name, but she was married to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Flinchum as of May 2007 when she talked to the Quad-City Times about the challenges of running the business while her husband was deployed in Europe.

Frese said investigators ran into suspicious evidence early on in the case, including the surveillance cameras being turned away from the area where the fire started.

“There were some very unusual things we ran into as we continued the investigation,” Frese said. “There were little things that didn’t add up.”

According to court records, Flinchum and her husband allegedly placed several lit candles in a strategic setting throughout the business, then altered a propane tank and propane grill. Those activities caused two explosions that were reported at 10:14 p.m. the night of the fire, court records add.

The business was closed at the time, but a bar in the same strip mall, Buffalo Wild Wings, was occupied,  court records state. There was no report of injuries.

The charges also allege that Beverly Flinchum made a false insurance claim for her building and the inventory.

The business appeared closed Monday, with for-sale signs placed in the windows.

Efforts to reach Beverly Flinchum for comment Monday were unsuccessful. Numbers listed for her home address and the business were no longer in service.

Beverly Flinchum is scheduled for arraignment Sept. 25.

Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com.