Minnesota Man Sentenced For Arson Insurance Fraud Scheme
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for an insurance fraud conviction stemming from an arson fire.
The US Attorney for Minnesota says 30-year-old Denis Molla of Brooklyn Center was accused of falsely reporting to police that someone had set his camper on fire in September 2020. According to court documents, Molla told Brooklyn Center police that three unknown males were near his home when he heard an explosion. He also reported that someone had spray-painted graffiti on his garage door that included an Antifa symbol and read, "Biden 2020" and "BLM." The police report also indicated Molla stated that his camper was targeted because it had a Trump 2020 flag on it.
Federal prosecutors say Molla filed several insurance claims for the damage to his garage, camper, vehicles, and residence. After his claims were denied, Molla submitted a written complaint to his insurance company claiming that it was defrauding him and threatening to report the firm to the Commerce Department and the State Attorney General.
Court records also state that he created two GoFundMe accounts requesting donations in the aftermath of the fire and vandalism. The criminal complaint says he submitted insurance claims for more than $300,000 and received more than $60,000 in payments from his insurance policies. He also collected more than $17,000 in donations through the GoFundMe websites.
Molla previously settled the case by entering a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay nearly $4000 in restitution and an $18,000 fine.
