Northern California city councilor among 3 arrested in alleged arson, insurance fraud scheme

CBS News

3 hours ago

A city councilman in the Northern California city of Live Oak was one of three men arrested this week in an alleged arson and insurance fraud conspiracy ring, authorities announced Friday.
Live Oak Vice Mayor Aaron Pamma, 30, was booked into jail on Thursday along with Simren Pamma, 28, who is a Live Oak Unified School District board member, and Gurtej Singh, 28, the Butte County District Attorney's Office said. Each was arrested on a $1,000,000 warrant issued by the county Supreme Court.
Live Oak Vice Mayor Aaron Pamma
City of Live Oak
The arrests were tied to a farmhouse fire that happened on Old Ferry Road on February 17, 2024. Singh purchased the property in April 2023 under a U.S. Department of Agriculture mortgage program and transferred 50% ownership of the property to Aaron and Simren Pamma the next month, the DA's office said.
Singh, from Yuba City, was also found to have purchased home insurance three months before the property was severely damaged in the fire, Cal Fire investigators found. He then allegedly filed a false insurance claim on the property.
Not long after the fire, the three men sold the Old Ferry Road property and collected an insurance payment, acquiring more than $200,000 in profit, the DA's office said.
Each faces charges of arson, the DA's office said. Aaron Pamma faces additional charges of fraud, perjury, supporting a false insurance claim, and conspiracy to destroy insured property for fraud. Simren Pamma faces an additional charge of conspiracy to destroy insured property for fraud.
Singh faces additional charges of fraud, wire fraud, destroying insured property for fraud, presenting a false insurance claim, and perjury.
A fourth individual, Javier Molina-Bravo, was charged in Butte County Superior Court in March with multiple felony counts of check fraud, the DA's office said.
Molina-Bravo, 37, from Tehama County, owned Big Dog Handyman and was hired by the other three men to renovate the farmhouse. Investigators found that Molina-Bravo used fraudulent checks to purchase thousands worth of materials for the renovation from businesses around Chico.
Malina-Bravo is a wanted fugitive after failing to appear for a scheduled hearing in Butte County Superior Court.
The investigation was a joint operation involving the FBI, Cal Fire and the Butte County DA.
Live Oak is a city in the northeast corner of Sutter County, near the border of Butte County. Old Ferry Road runs along the Feather River on the north end of the Butte County city of Oroville.