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A store owner wanted to collect insurance proceeds on an old warehouse. He told a driver, "I will pay you $5,000 to burn the warehouse Friday night." The driver was an undercover officer. The driver said, "I am in," and the store owner gave him a map, a key, and $500 for gasoline. The next morning, the store owner called the driver and said, "Forget it. I changed my mind." He did not contact police, the insurer, or the fire department.
The driver never intended to burn the warehouse and no fire occurred. Prosecutors charge the store owner with solicitation and conspiracy to commit arson. The store owner argues that there was no real agreement, no completed arson, and that he withdrew before any harm occurred.
Analyze the solicitation and conspiracy charges under common approaches, including agreement, overt act, unilateral and bilateral conspiracy, and renunciation or withdrawal.