A Chaska business owner has been charged with arson and insurance fraud following an investigation into a suspicious fire at the historic Chaska Depot on June 30, 2025.
Sean-Paul James Hayden of Chanhassen posted a $10,000 bond April 13 and is awaiting his initial court appearance on May 15. If convicted of the two alleged felony offenses, Hayden faces 20 years in prison for each charge. He could also face a $100,000 fine for the arson charge and a $20,000 for the fraud charge.
According to a complaint filed April 9, investigators allege that Hayden was facing financial difficulties as he was behind on rent payments and failed to make employee payroll on several occasions. Witnesses indicated that Hayden was attempting to sell the business at the time of the fire.
Law enforcement claims Hayden, the owner of Dolce Vita Wine Shop in downtown Chaska, allegedly colluded with a longtime handyman, Dennis Hung Nguyen, to commit fraud by deliberately starting a fire in the basement of the Chaska Depot building and subsequently filing a $44,000 insurance claim. Hayden had claimed that the fire began due to faulty wiring.
During his investigation into the cause of the blaze, Fire Marshal Al Tarman found several broken bottles of alcohol, partially burned charcoal and charred wood slats in the building’s furnace room, leading him to conclude that the fire was intentionally set. The fire apparently melted a PVC pipe along the ceiling, causing two inches of water to accumulate on the floor.
As the investigation continued, Chaska Police allegedly found that the wires to building’s security system had been cut, and the device’s surveillance footage was missing.
Police requested security camera footage from nearby businesses that showed a vehicle pulling up to the front of Dolce Vita at 1:42 a.m. on June 30. A passenger exited the back of the vehicle and entered the business. The footage also showed that a white vehicle arrived at the wine shop at 2:56 a.m. and picked up the same person.
Police then requested rideshare records and identified Nguyen as the individual captured in the video.
When asked about the alleged scheme to start a fire and collect insurance money, Hayden and Nguyen both denied they were involved and had not been in contact with each other for months. As they reviewed historical phone records, police claim that there were approximately 111 phone calls between the Hayden and Nguyen between April 30 and July 3, 2025, including calls prior to the fire, the day of the fire, and the day after the fire.
According to the complaint, Hayden allegedly confirmed that he was behind on rent and had missed several employee paydays. Police say that Hayden also admitted to being a gambler and stated he was behind about $100,000 at Diamond Joe’s Casino in Iowa.
According to the complaint, building owner Dan Keyport told police that Hayden was 70 days behind on payments for the business and Keyport had mailed letters of default to the Dolce Vita owner.
Hayden is charged with arson in the first degree — using combustible/flammable materials. He’s also charged with insurance fraud — presenting false representation/concealing facts.
Depot’s Future
Dan Keyport reports that restoration efforts are underway to reopen the Depot building.
“The historic Chaska Depot is a real treasure in downtown Chaska,” he said. “We were very lucky not to lose the entire building in this fire. “
He said the difficult part of the investigation process has been the waiting.
“The fire happened nearly a year ago, and we are only just now getting to the point where insurance has been sorted out, charges have been filed, and we can start the building restoration process,” he said.
Storage pods and tarps have appeared on site recently, indicating work is underway. The entire building has to be emptied in order for the restoration work to begin, Keyport said.
“Every surface in the building — floors, walls and ceiling — needs to be cleaned and sealed to remove smoke residue,” he said. “That work should begin very soon.”
As the interior is restored, Keyport said he plans to complete some exterior repairs and refresh the landscaping around the building before reopening.
“Our target for getting tenants back into the building is July 1,” he said. “Cheetah Computer Services is planning to return, and The Excelsior Vintage is planning to move into the wine shop space. I am excited to get the Chaska Depot restored and refreshed and getting back to where this beautiful historic Chaska landmark rejoins the ranks of other small businesses downtown.”
