Source: ROBERTO SCHMIDT / Getty
A Minnesota man who claimed that his house was vandalized and his camper set on fire because he was a supporter of former President Donald Trump pleaded guilty to fraud.
According to reports, prosecutors stated that Denis Molla pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on Tuesday (Oct. 11). Molla had become infamous for claiming that his camper vehicle parked in front of his Brooklyn Center home was set on fire on Sept. 23, 2020 to police. The 30-year-old also claimed that “Biden 2020” and “BLM” along with an antifascist symbol were spray-painted on his garage because he had hoisted a “Trump 2020” flag. He told law enforcement that he had spied three unidentified males near his home when he heard an explosion.
According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office, “Molla started his own property on fire and spray painted the graffiti on his own garage.” Their official statement goes on to report that he admitted that he started the fire and spray-painted his own garage so that he could make a $300,000 insurance claim. After the insurance company paid out only $61,000 and denied some of his claims initially, Molla filed a written complaint accusing the company of defrauding him. He then threatened to complain to the Department of Commerce and the Attorney General. He had also started two GoFundMe campaigns which netted him $17,000.
Molla, who had said to local NBC affiliate KARE at the time that “It doesn’t matter what party we are, Republican, Democratic — I think this is just over and beyond terrible,” was charged with two counts of wire fraud after the investigation found he staged the incident. He admitted his crime before Judge David S. Doty and sobbed throughout the entire hearing.
A lawyer for Molla told the press that he has paid back all of the insurance money he collected and has saved enough to repay all of the donors to the suspended GoFundMe campaign. Denis Molla is expected to be sentenced at a later date. The sentence for this sort of offense is three to four years in prison, with the judge having the option to give less time.
