STOCKTON, Calif. — Three people were sentenced for insurance fraud and arson Monday after intentionally starting multiple fires in homes by leaving chicken unattended on the stove.
Tyler Chen, 49, Kim Chen, 47, and Ha Nguyen, 64, all pleaded guilty for crimes that related to insurance fraud.
Tyler set fire to his sister-in-law's home in Stockton on May 1, 2013 after leaving frying chicken unattended, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar.
Nguyen told Tyler to put a sofa, couch, a washer and a dyer they found on the side of the road into the home, according to the district attorney's news release. Nguyen then drove Tyler to the home, and the two left, once the fire was started.
A public adjuster met with Nguyen later that year to obtain keys to a warehouse that was related to an insurance claim. The adjuster previously represented Tyler and Nguyen on insurance claims.
Nguyen gave the adjuster a ledge that had addresses and dates that he'd recognized as other claims that Nuyen and Tyler filed. Nguyen admitted those properties were purposely set on fire so they could file insurance claims, according to the DA's office.
The following year, on June 22, the Stockton Fire Department responded to a residential fire at 5144 Pier Drive. California Department of Insurance investigators discovered a pattern that either directly or indirectly involved Tyler and Nguyen that had homes catching on fire because they left cooking chicken unattended on the stove, the DA's office said.
The three were also linked to insurance claims that involved water damage to property in warehouses that fire damaged.
Verber Salazar said in a statement that it affects us all when people commit fraud on insurance companies.
"When an insurance company pays out a claim we, in actuality, are paying through higher premiums and deductibles," Verber Salazar said.
Tyler was sentenced to 13 years in state prison, Kim was sentenced to one year in the county jail and Nguyen was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
The court ordered the three to pay restitution for $582,506.36.
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