A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury in Richmond on Wednesday in a 15-year insurance fraud scheme involving at least 27 fires in Richmond, Henrico County and Florida.
Verdon Taylor, 72, of Leesburg, was found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, and witness tampering. Four co-defendants earlier pleaded guilty in the case.
Authorities said insurance companies paid roughly $1 million in claims to conspirators for fires set in vehicles, mobile homes and rental properties.
Vershawn Jackson, 39, and Marie Taylor, 54, both of Richmond; Eugenia Fleming, 57, of Victoria; and Sylvia Jackson, 59, of Tampa, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and each faces up to 20 years in prison.
Verdon Taylor faces a maximum of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 2.
According to court records and trial evidence, the co-conspirators ran a long-running arson-for-profit scheme in which they bought cars or mobile homes at auction, or signed leases at rental properties, insured the property, and then set fire to the insured property to collect insurance money.
Their indictment this year alleged that the fraud involved 30 properties and began as early as 2000, continuing until as recently as November.
The case was investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the fire departments in Henrico and Richmond.
Six People Arrested for Alleged Insurance Fraud Conspiracy Involving Over 30 Fires
RICHMOND,
Va. – Six people were arrested yesterday for their alleged roles in an
insurance fraud conspiracy involving over 30 fires, pursuant to an
indictment unsealed in federal court today.
According to the indictment,
from as early as May 2000 until as recently as Nov. 30, 2016, the
defendants, in various combinations, had a series of over 30
fires—including fires consuming single-family homes, trailers, mobile
homes, and cars. The details of each fire vary, but the frequent pattern
was for the defendants allegedly to buy a car or home at auction or in
foreclosure, insure it, and then collect insurance proceeds in excess of
the purchase price after it burned.
In furtherance of their
scheme, the defendants allegedly made numerous misrepresentations, both
in writing and in interviews—sometimes under oath—to insurance
companies, firefighters, and other law enforcement officers. The
per-fire insurance payout for the fires ranged from approximately $1,000
to over $300,000, with the alleged insurance payouts in connection with
the scheme totaling over $900,000.
The following defendants made
their initial appearance in federal court after being arrested
yesterday on the charges listed below:
|
Name
|
Age
|
City
|
Charge(s)
|
|
Verdon Taylor
|
72
|
Leesburg, Fla.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, witness tampering
|
|
Vershawn Jackson
|
37
|
Sandston, Va.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony
|
|
Sylvia Mitchell
|
58
|
Tampa, Fla.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
|
|
Marie Taylor
|
54
|
Richmond, Va.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
|
|
Dorel Watson
|
32
|
Tampa, Fla.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
|
|
Eugenia Fleming
|
57
|
Victoria, Va.
|
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, false statement
|
Dana J.
Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael
B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the
announcement after defendants Jackson, Taylor, and Fleming made their
initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge David J. Novak. The
Henrico County Fire Marshal’s Office and the City of Richmond Department
of Fire and Emergency Services provided assistance in this
investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Harbach, II is
prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-29.
An indictment contains
allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is
presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.