Man from Missouri pleads guilty to arson, insurance fraud conspiracy
Wandale J. Fulton, 40, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Jan. 27, to one count of conspiracy to use fire in the commission of wire and mail fraud, one count of arson in the commission of a federal felony, and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Fulton also pleaded guilty to the charge contained in a separate federal indictment, one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
By pleading guilty, Fulton admitted that he participated in an arson and insurance fraud conspiracy from 2013 through 2019. Fulton and co-conspirators bought houses in Kansas City, Mo., insured them, had them burned or vandalized, and then filed insurance claims on the houses.
Conspirators made false claims on insurance applications, such as claiming the houses were rented or occupied, that there were valuable contents in the houses, and that the houses had been renovated. After obtaining insurance, a co-conspirator would set fire to the house. The homeowner would then claim a total loss with the insurance company.
Fulton also admitted that he and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent loan applications to Heartland Community Credit Union. They also presented fraudulent bills of sale for automobiles to Heartland to obtain loans to purchase cars. The plea agreement cites four fraudulent automobile loans obtained by conspirators from the credit union. .
ATF agents executed a search warrant at Fulton’s residence on March 26, 2019. During the search, agents found several firearms. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fulton has a prior felony conviction for manslaughter.
Four co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
Under federal statutes, Fulton is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole for use of fire in the commission of a federal felony.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation.