Rony Metellus, Arson, Rhode Island 2014

A notorious Providence landlord has admitted to torching a three family tenement in a brazen arson-for-profit scheme. Rony Metellus, 52, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence on Monday to setting fire on July 23, 2014, to an occupied three family tenement building he owned in an effort to benefit by the collection of insurance payments.

Metellus, a Providence resident, pleaded guilty to one count of defrauding an insurance company – wire fraud. The charge carries significant penalties, including up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines.

According to investigators, Metellus intentionally set fire to the building at 346 Admiral Street in Providence at approximately 3:30 a.m. on July 23, 2014. Surveillance videos reviewed by investigators captured Metellus leaving his home a mile away from his rental property, arriving and then departing eight minutes later from the vicinity of his property, and then returning to his home as Providence firefighters were responding to a reported fire at his Admiral Street property.

The fire damaged the building significantly, leaving three adults and three children who lived in a first floor apartment without a home. The second and third floors, including the apartment where the fire was intentionally set, were vacant at the time of the blaze.

Metellus hired a public adjuster to represent him in filing an insurance claim for damages to the burned building. Records indicate a claim was filed with the insurer, Lloyd’s of London, through a local insurance agency.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. Metellus is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2015, and faces up to 20 years in prison and significant fines.

Metellus has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on August 8, 2014. He has been held without bail, awaiting his sentencing date. The investigation was conducted by the Providence Fire Department Arson Squad, the Providence Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.

Related Federal Cases