Arson Conviction Rocks Logan County
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal jury in Charleston found Michael L. White, 58, of Chapmanville, Logan County guilty on all three counts: conspiracy to commit arson, arson and accessory after the fact.
The charges stem from a 2009 arson attack on a residential rental unit owned by White in Van, Boone County, W.Va. White conspired with Kimberly Dawn Kinder, 46, of Chapmanville, Logan County, and her now deceased husband to set fire to the duplex in order to collect insurance claims.
Late in the evening on October 15, 2009, the Kinders arrived at the Van Duplex. After entering through one of the rental units, Mr. Kinder poured gasoline on a pile of clothes in the living area of one of the units. Mr. Kinder lit the pile of clothes on fire and Mrs. Kinder drove the getaway vehicle.
The Van Volunteer Fire Department later responded to the incident and extinguished the fire, but the property suffered widespread damage. Afterward, White filed an insurance claim with Nationwide Insurance Company (“Nationwide”) as a result of the fire. Nationwide in turn paid White $80,716.51.
Evidence at trial determined that White subsequently paid the Kinders a total of approximately $2,000 in small increments as payment for their role in the conspiracy. Kimberly Dawn Kinder previously pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy in June 2012 and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
White faces up to five years in prison on Count One (conspiracy); five to 20 years on Count Two (arson); and up to two and a half years on Count Three (accessory after the fact) when he is sentenced in August by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.
The investigation was conducted by the West Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Ryan and Larry Ellis handled the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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