Youngstown Woman Convicted Of Arson For Setting Fire To Rental Property To Collect Insurance Money

A Youngstown woman was convicted of setting fire to a rental property in order to collect insurance money, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Latasha Curtis, 33, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13. She was convicted on one count of conspiracy, one count of use of fire during the commission of a felony, and one count of maliciously damaging and destroying, and attempting to damage and destroy, by means of fire, real property used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce following a trial before U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson.

Curtis and others conspired to commit arson of a rental property located at 75 Hilton Avenue in Youngstown, and to commit wire fraud in submitting false claims against State Farm Insurance Corporation for the proceeds of an insurance policy on the property, according to court documents.

The property was burned in a fire occurring on October 19, 2013, which was intentionally set by Curtis and others, according to court documents.

State Farm paid $67,916.10 after the insurance claim on the property was submitted, according court documents.

This case was investigated by the Youngstown Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James V. Moroney and Miranda Dugi.