Independence woman is sent to prison
JUNE 21, 2016
By Tony Rizzo
trizzo@kcstar.com
Independence, MO
An Independence woman was sentenced Tuesday to federal prison for her role in a scheme to intentionally burn houses for insurance money.
Tina L. Shonk, 35, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. She was also ordered to pay $247,000 in restitution.
Shonk and several co-conspirators intentionally set fire to a house in the 3500 block of Garfield Avenue after she had obtained renter’s insurance on the property.
According to Shonk’s guilty plea, the conspirators stocked the house with broken appliances and electronic equipment before starting a fire that demolished the structure.
She then made an insurance claim that overstated the value of the personal property.
Later she and one of the conspirators moved into another house and plotted to do the same thing.