A Kouts man has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison for charges stemming from a series of arson fires at a mobile home park near North Judson. Michael Thomas, 42, was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court, according to U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch. A jury found him guilty of mail fraud almost a year ago.
The first fire reportedly took place at a mobile home owned and occupied by Thomas on Julia Drive in September of 2004. Then in November 2010, there were fires at homes on 275 West, A Street, Airstream Court, and Holiday Street, followed by a fire at another mobile home on 275 West in early 2013, according to Kirsch. In April of that year, firefighters reportedly put out another fire at the Julia Drive property, only to be called back to the home a few hours later. Kirsch says insurance claims were submitted immediately after the fires, resulting in almost $617,000 in payouts.
Thomas was sentenced to 90 months in prison and then another year of supervised release, according to Kirsch. Thomas has also been ordered to pay more than $426,000 in restitution to State Farm Insurance and almost $116,000 to Foremost Insurance.
Indiana State Police and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted the United State Postal Inspection Service with the investigation.
