Federal prosecutors say a Providence, Rhode Island, landlord admitted to setting fire to an occupied building he owned in a scheme to collect insurance payments.
Rony Metellus pleaded guilty Monday to one count of defrauding an insurance company.
Prosecutors say 52-year-old Metellus told the court that he set fire to the apartment building last year. He drove home as firefighters arrived at the scene.
Three adults and three children were on the first floor of the building at the time of the fire. They made it out unharmed.
Investigators say surveillance footage showed him driving from and returning to his home at the time of the fire.
He was arrested in August 2014 and remains in federal custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 3.
Topics Property
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