by Debbie Burke
Public Domain
Kim Lien Vu, 46, owned two nail salons in Liberty Township, OH. She reportedly “developed animosity” with a competing business, Bora Bora Nails and Spa in nearby Monroe. In December 2022, Vu and employee Cierra Marie Bishop, 30, hatched a plan to burn down the rival store.
In text messages between Vu and Bishop, Bishop described experiments with various incendiary devices.
Vu directed a third woman, Makahla Ann Rennick, 19, to make an appointment at Bora Bora under a false name.
The final device was put into a small box.
On February 5, 2023, surveillance footage shows Bishop and Rennick entering the salon. While Rennick was having a pedicure, Bishop walked around the store with a package. Near the rear restroom, Bishop placed the package behind a desk.
Meanwhile, Vu established an alibi for herself by driving to Virginia, although she remained in contact via text with Bishop while Bishop was inside the store.
Later, a Bora Bora employee smelled gasoline, spotted the package, and put it outside in the dumpster. It soon caught fire.
Public Domain
Yeah, a genuine dumpster fire.
This video report shows the device before and after it ignited.
The trio was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2023. In September 2023 Vu pled guilty, admitting she “conspired to commit malicious destruction via fire.” In April 2024, US District Court sentenced her to 46 months in prison. Bishop also pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Business sometimes means fighting tooth and…nail. [Ba-da-boom!]
~~~
TKZers: Do you know business competitors that carried their rivalry to extremes?
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Debbie Burke’s thriller Deep Fake Double Down is a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award..
“TKZers: Do you know business competitors that carried their rivalry to extremes?”
Do religions count?
Good one, J!
Interesting story, Debbie. And interesting, too in that I live in Liberty Township, but in a different county to the north of the location in your story.
In answer to your question, I tried to think of an example from our community, but we are such a well-behaved group of model citizens that I couldn’t think of any misbehavior. Except…
Our local hospital did conspire with my realtor to keep the selling price low when I retired and put my office up for sale. It was across the street from the hospital, and I knew the hospital wanted my property. When I signed with the realtor, he reassured me that he had no business connections with the hospital. After hearing from multiple people that the realtor was not returning their calls to arrange a time to look at the property, I learned that the hospital CEO and my realtor were best buds. After about a year, I convinced the realtor to release me from our contract. I hired a new realtor, and we had a signed contract with the hospital in two days.
Thanks for keeping us informed of the unending creativity of the criminal mind.
Have a great day!
Steve, I thought of you when I read the name of the town.
Wow, shady dealings between the CEO and real estate agent. I don’t know about Ohio but in some states you could report the agent to regulatory authorities and his license could be suspended or revoked.
Glad you’re out from under and I hope you made the hospital pay a good price.
Good grief, Steve! That’s terrible…I’m glad you got out from under it, though.
🙁
In my checkered past, between secretary, rocket scientist, toxic waste remediator, oil patch engineer, etc., I sold real estate for a year. My broker came from a tough industry, one in which offers-that-can’t-be-refused were not unheard of. But anyone who wanted to cancel a listing was freed from their one-year contract immediately. I still have great respect for him.
J, great accolade to an honest man.
Dare I say you nailed it with this post, Debbie?
This is taking business rivalries to an extreme, trying to burn out the competition, rather than leaning into what makes their own business great. Perhaps that was the problem.
I don’t recall any examples in my own experiences, having friends who owned a game store for many years and also hung out at others.
Yes, you dare, Dale. LOL!
Who knew fingernails could be such a competitive field? I guess Ms. Vu was just trying to polish off her rivals. 🙂
Ba-da-boom, Kay! 🙂
Hahaha, Kay! TKZ’s comedians are out in force this morning.
Clawing her way to the top.
😂😂😂
What a story, Debbie! And what dunderheads those women are… 🙁
I don’t know anyone personally, nor can I think of business rivals in my area who have gone to extremes, but over the years there have been some weird and suspicious circumstances reported in the news. Just can’t remember any details.
Jealousy is truly the worst incendiary “device” known to humanity, right? Left to simmer, it will eventually boil over and burn everyone around you. Best to keep short accounts with folks. Sermon over. 🙂
And have a great day, hopefully smoke-free? Here in Central WA, we are engulfed in it, from here, OR, and Canada. Ack! We’ve decided not to do our usual Thursday thing and hunker down at home.
“Jealousy is truly the worst incendiary “device” known to humanity.” How right you are, Deb.
Still smoky here in MT but at least the heat wave has broken a bit. Rain would be nice to wash the air and dampen fires, but preferably no lightning to start new ones. Summer ain’t much fun anymore.
Can’t say that I do, Debbie. Enjoyed the story, though. Super congrats on the Silver Falchion Award!
Big thanks, Sue!
This isn’t biz related, but it sure is rivalry related. Back in the late 90s there was a campaign for Calif. State Assembly, and one candidate accused the other of going around at night tearing down his signs. The accused, a Harvard trained lawyer (!) and toy company executive, scoffed to the press, calling it his opponent’s cheap trick to get publicity.
Unbeknownst to the fellow, the opponent had dispatched a private dick to take camcorder videos, not only showing the guy doing it, but getting the license plate of his car, which proved it was him.
As Homer Simpson would say, “D’oh!”
Amazingly, the miscreant refused to drop out.
He got only 7% of the popular vote.
Great story, Jim! Similar shenanigans happen on the political scene here in MT and probably everywhere.
Congrats on your Silver Fanchion nominations. Down here in Florida, we have a wealth of crooks, including Bernie Madoff.
Thanks, Elaine!
Yes, Florida is fertile territory. No wonder there are so many terrific crime authors there, including you!