Manjit K. Singh, 49, of Greenup, Kentucky, and her daughter Harpneet K. Bath, 27, of British Columbia, Canada, were sentenced Wednesday to 18 months and 9 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiring to burn down Singh’s own convenience store to collect insurance money. U.S. District Court Judge David L. Bunning handed down the sentences in Ashland, Kentucky, after both women admitted to orchestrating a planned arson at Wolf’s Food Mart and Pool Hall.
Singh admitted in her plea agreement that in January 2020, she offered a confidential informant $5,000 to torch the store, which was insured by Scottsdale Insurance Company. She detailed how the fire should be set, promised $1,000 upfront, and the remaining $4,000 after the insurer paid out on the fraudulent claim. The store, located in Greenup, was to be destroyed as part of a cold-eyed scheme to cash in on a fire loss that never happened.
Bath flew in from Canada to assist her mother in executing the fraud. Both women met with the informant the night before the planned arson. During that meeting, Bath handed over $900 in cash and collected the informant’s bank account details—intending to wire the rest once the insurance check cleared. Their plan was meticulous, but they never counted on law enforcement listening in.
FBI agents and Greenup County Sheriff’s Office investigators disrupted the plot before flames ever touched the building. No fire was set. No damage done. But the paper trail, recorded conversations, and cash exchange sealed the women’s fate. The investigation, jointly led by the FBI Louisville Field Division and local authorities, exposed a family-run fraud scheme built on greed and deception.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Singh and Bath must serve at least 85 percent of their prison terms. Both will face two years of supervised release under the watch of the U.S. Probation Office. In addition to prison time, Singh was hit with a $5,000 fine, while Bath must pay $2,500—pennies, perhaps, compared to what they hoped to steal from the insurer.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown and Greenup County Sheriff ?????, announced the sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey prosecuted the case. The women’s bid for easy money ended not in a blaze, but in a federal courtroom—with handcuffs and court costs.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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