Man pleads guilty to wire fraud after burning his own camper for insurance money

A Minnesota man had pleaded guilty in federal court on wire fraud charges related to his intentional arson of his own camper, which he attempted to blame on political violence, in order to collect insurance money.

Denis Vladmirovich Molla reported a fire in September of 2020, telling first responders he believed someone had set the fire in retaliation for the Trump flag on the outside of the camper. The property had also been vandalized, according to Molla, who claimed an unknown suspect had spray painted pro-BLM and Antifa messages on his garage door.

Last week, the United States Department of Justice released a statement saying Molla had pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud after setting his own camper on fire, burning down a detached garage and totaling three vehicles in addition to destroying the family’s home.

After the blaze, Molla filed several insurance claims totaling $300,000. In addition to the false insurance claims, Molla also set up two GoFundMe accounts to raise funds for himself and his family.

“The defendant provided written comments on both GoFundMe accounts documenting the property losses that he suffered, thanking the numerous donors,” the DoJ press release states.

According to the plea agreement, the DoJ agreed to drop one of the two wire fraud charges. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Molla faces up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines, according to his attorney.