Federal Arson And Fraud Charges Lodged Against Oakdale Woman

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on charges of malicious destruction of property by fire and wire fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The four-count Indictment named Andrea Forsythe, 26, of Oakdale, Pa., as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, on or about June 23, 2014, Forsythe set fire to a residential structure located in Sturgeon, Pa., a rental home where she had been residing, so that she could obtain money from the insurance company which provided coverage on that structure. The fraud charges in the Indictment allege that from in and around June of 2014, and continuing thereafter until on or about Dec. 1, 2014, Forsythe engaged in a scheme to defraud Nationwide insurance company in connection with the claim she made for the fire loss.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 80 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.