Huge debts listed in Lutsen Lodge fire criminal complaint

Lutsen Lodge Fire

(Courtesy: Lutsen Resort)

DULUTH, Min. – The Bryce Campbell, the owner of the Lutsen Lodge, has been charged with burning down his own business.

The fire happened on February 6, 2024.  He was officially charged on February 3, 2025.

Campbell’s debts and money problems were featured in the charging documents.

It reads Campbell’s companies, “North Shore Resort Company, North Shore Land Company and Shores Resort Company’s near due and past due business debts amounted to more than $14,000,000 at the time of the fire.”

Bryce Campbell

(Oakland County Jail)

It then lists bank statements:

• Lutsen owed $466,961.92 in past due invoices to over 80 entities as of January 26, 2024.
• Lutsen owed $521,11720 past due to Lutsen’s previous owners as of January 1, 2024.
• Lutsen owed $246,744.30 to Lutsen Resort Townhome Association and the Lutsen West Flank Townhome Association due on February 7, 2024.
• Lutsen owed $276,964.79 to Highmark Builders, who filed a mechanic’s lien on the Lutsen property on February 13, 2024.
• Shores Resorts Company owed $12,953.504.25 in combined balloon payments for Superior Shores Resort due on June 1, 2024.

Campbell’s business bank account:

• The Shores Resort Company’s Commercial Checking Account has a balance of -3,795.51 (negative balance) on January 31, 2024,
• The North Shore Land Company’s Business Checking Account had a balance of $27.89 on January 31, 2024.
• North Shore Resort Company’s Commercial Analysis Checking Account had a balance of $543.67 on January 31, 2024.
• The North Shore Resort Company DBA Superior Shores Resort’s Operating Account had a balance of $31,039.26 on January 31, 2024.  In comparison, from January 31, 2023 to December 31, 2023, this account’s average balance during 203 was $213,826.63.
• The North Shore Resort Company’s Payroll Account had a balance of $5,915.70 on January 31, 2024. [The General Manager] stated that payroll every two weeks was approximately $65,000.

The indictment continues, “Insurance records reflect that on August 8, 2022, [Campbell] increased the insurance policy for Lutsen from $8,497,500 to $11,000,000. On May 22, 2023, [Campbell] increased the insurance policy for Lutsen from $11,000,000 to $13,000,000.”

About nine months after that last insurance increase, the lodge burned.

He is facing four charges.

They include felony 1st degree arson, felony 1st degree arson – knowing a person is present, felony 1st degree arson with a possibility of a person being present, plus felony insurance fraud.