Kormahyah Karmue, Arson-for-Profit Scheme, Rhode Island 2013

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A federal court jury in Providence has convicted Kormahyah Karmue, 40, of Providence, of being the mastermind behind a conspiracy to set fire to an occupied multi-family dwelling he owned at 31-33 Ida Street in Providence in an effort to collect more than $725,000 in insurance payments.

The government's evidence showed that on November 2, 2013, an individual working at the direction of Karmue and others, intentionally spread gasoline around a third floor apartment inside the Ida Street tenement. The gasoline was inadvertently ignited by a flame from a gas heater before the individual could strike a match. Several occupants in the building, including a family with five young children inside a second floor apartment, fled from the building.

Karmue was convicted of conspiracy to commit arson and three counts each of wire fraud and mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha, Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The jury acquitted Karmue of one count of arson.

Three co-defendants in this matter, Nakelee Freeman, 21, of Providence, Abraham Kerkula, 21, of Pawtucket and Gbabia Kollie, 28, of Johnson City, Tenn., previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and arson. They are detained in federal custody and awaiting sentencing.

According to the government's evidence, beginning in early October 2013, Karmue communicated from Liberia with Kollie, convincing him to travel to Rhode Island to set fire to the Ida Street building in an effort to avoid foreclosure and to collect insurance payments. Karmue promised to pay Kollie between $15,000 and $30,000 for his role in the arson-for-profit scheme.

According to the government's evidence, after arriving in Rhode Island in late October, Kollie changed his mind and decided that he would not set fire to the tenement and returned home to Tennessee. After returning home, Kollie contacted a brother-in-law in Rhode Island, Nakelee Freemen, and enlisted his assistance to help to carry out the arson-for-profit scheme in exchange for $7,500.

On November 1, 2013, Freeman contacted Abraham Kerkula and asked him to dr

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/federal-jury-convicts-mastermind-arson-profit-scheme