KEY LARGO MAN WHO ATTEMPTED TO SET LOCAL RESTAURANT ABLAZE SENTENCED TO PRISON
Terry Wayne Moore Jr. has been sentenced for setting multiple fires at the Pilot House restaurant in Key Largo, according to State Attorney Dennis Ward.
Moore entered a plea of no contest and was adjudicated guilty by Circuit Judge James Morgan to arson in the second degree and burglary of a structure. He was sentenced to 30 months in Florida prison, followed by 10 years of felony probation. Moore will be required to pay restitution for damages to the restaurant, complete 300 hours of community service, undergo random testing for illicit substances, and pay all court, prosecution and investigative costs. A no-contact order was also issued, requiring Moore to stay away from the restaurant property.
The crimes took place on March 5, 2024, when Moore broke into the Pilot House restaurant after hours and set multiple fires inside and outside the building. Monroe County sheriff’s deputies found shattered glass doors, accelerants poured across the dining room, and stove gas lines tampered with and turned on. A strong smell of propane filled the building.
Moore attempts were unsuccessful and the restaurant only suffered minor damage after the flames extinguished on their own.
Prosecutors built their case on surveillance video showing Moore carrying containers into the restaurant, pouring liquid across the floor and bar, and then setting it ablaze. Additional footage captured him tampering with propane stoves and drilling into gas lines. Both his wife and the restaurant’s manager identified Moore as the person in the footage. Moore later gave incriminating statements to detectives.
Investigators said the fire was an act of retaliation. Moore had been employed at the Pilot House but was fired in December 2023. He was still living aboard a vessel in the marina when he was served eviction papers on March 3, 2024. Two days later, he attempted to set fire to the restaurant.
“This was a dangerous act of retaliation that could have ended in tragedy,” said Ward. “The Pilot House is more than just a business — it’s part of the heart of Key Largo. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office did an excellent job investigating this case, quickly arresting the suspect and providing our office the necessary evidence to reach this result.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Trey Evans in the Plantation Key office.
