Kormahyah Karmue, Arson-for-hire Conspiracy, Rhode Island 2013

A federal grand jury has returned a nine-count superseding indictment against Kormahyah Karmue, a 39-year-old Providence landlord, for allegedly masterminding an arson-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in an occupied multi-family dwelling in Providence being damaged by fire.

According to the indictment, Karmue conspired with three others to maliciously damage and destroy by means of fire and explosion a multi-family residence he owned at 31-33 Ida Street in Providence, and that he allegedly devised a scheme in which he defrauded the Allstate Insurance Company of $8,000 in insurance payments.

In addition to the arson-for-hire charges, Karmue is also accused of fraudulently obtaining $61,250 in federally funded unemployment insurance payments from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training between July 2009 and August 2011. It is alleged that Karmue falsely represented that he was unemployed when in fact he was self-employed, engaging in the business of transporting cargo for a fee.

Karmue was ordered detained in federal custody following his arraignment before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan late Tuesday afternoon on charges of conspiracy to commit arson, arson, wire fraud, mail fraud, and theft of U.S. government funds. A not guilty plea was entered on Karmue’s behalf.

Three co-defendants charged in this matter remain detained in federal custody. Abraham Kerkula, 20, and Nakele Freeman, 19, both of Providence, were arrested in November 2013 and have since pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit arson and arson affecting interstate commerce. They are awaiting sentencing.

Gbabia Kollie, 27, of Johnston City, Tenn., who was removed from an outbound international flight leaving Atlanta for Liberia and arrested by ATF agents on December 5, 2013, and ordered detained by the court on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to commit arson and arson affecting interstate commerce, is scheduled to be arraigned on charges contained in the superseding indictment on May 29.

An indictment and a criminal complaint are merely allegations and are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland. The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Providence Fire Department Arson Squad, and the Providence Police Department Detective Bureau.