Mich. Woman Starts House Fire to Collect Insurance Money

A Kent County, Mich. woman has pleaded no contest to setting her home on fire with her husband and teenage children inside to collect insurance money.

Prosecutors say 38-year-old Sheryl Christman of Grand Rapids Township was facing foreclosure, wanted to get out of the $150,000 home’s mortgage and wanted to be with her new boyfriend.

The Grand Rapids Press reports mattresses were set on fire in the garage on September 1. Investigators say Christman wept outside as the home burned.

Her family escaped without injury.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as such at sentencing.

Christman faces up to 20 years in prison, but could get less than two because she had no previous criminal record.

Sentencing is expected within six weeks. She offered the plea on Monday.

Latest Comments

• December 20, 2007 at 2:46 am

  Puzzled says:

  I thought loss due to intentional acts is absolutely excluded for coverage and the insured cannot be paid in an instance such as this. Isn't this the #1 exclusion in the contr... read more
• December 20, 2007 at 10:12 am

  Casual Observer says:

  NEWSFLASH: from WOODTV in Grand Rapids: Christman lived in the house with her husband and three children, but had a boyfriend she wanted to be with. Her boyfriend, though, wor... read more
• December 19, 2007 at 2:20 am

  joe says:

  but wait! it will get even better! she go to the slammer on a two year sentence, get out early for crowding/good behavior/other credits, and go back to her family, 'cause the ... read more