A shocking case of arson and insurance fraud has come to a head in Fort Dodge, Iowa, as 67-year-old landlord Shirley Weimer pled guilty to conspiracy to knowingly use fire to commit wire fraud in violation of federal law.
According to evidence presented at the plea hearing, Weimer recruited a tenant, Lisa Young, to burn down a rental dwelling she owned, with the promise of $10,000 from the insurance payout. Weimer’s scheme didn’t stop there, as she also enlisted the help of Ashley and Gerald Straight, among others, to defraud the insurance company.
The plan was carried out, and the rental dwelling was intentionally and completely destroyed by fire. As a result, Weimer collected over $78,000 from State Farm Insurance for the losses. The investigation into the crime was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in conjunction with the Otho Volunteer Fire Department, the Iowa Department of Public Safety — State Fire Marshal’s Division, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Dodge Police Department.
Weimer’s guilty plea comes with serious consequences. She faces a potential 120 month sentence, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Weimer remains free on bond pending sentencing, which will be determined after a presentence report is prepared.
Lisa Young, Ashley Straight, and Gerald Straight will all face sentencing for their roles in the crime in the coming weeks. Young and Ashley Straight are set to be sentenced on April 22, 2014, while Gerald Straight will be sentenced on April 29, 2014. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information for the case, numbered 13-3035, is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The investigation and prosecution of this case serve as a reminder of the severe consequences of engaging in arson and insurance fraud. As the sentencing phase approaches, it will be interesting to see how the court handles the punishment of those involved in this elaborate scheme.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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