Florida Man Convicted In Insurance Fraud Fire Scheme

A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury in Richmond on Wednesday in a 15-year insurance fraud scheme involving at least 27 fires in Richmond, Henrico County and Florida.

Verdon Taylor, 72, of Leesburg, was found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, use of fire to commit a federal felony, and witness tampering. Four co-defendants earlier pleaded guilty in the case.

Authorities said insurance companies paid roughly $1 million in claims to conspirators for fires set in vehicles, mobile homes and rental properties.

Vershawn Jackson, 39, and Marie Taylor, 54, both of Richmond; Eugenia Fleming, 57, of Victoria; and Sylvia Jackson, 59, of Tampa, Fla., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and each faces up to 20 years in prison.

Verdon Taylor faces a maximum of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 2.

According to court records and trial evidence, the co-conspirators ran a long-running arson-for-profit scheme in which they bought cars or mobile homes at auction, or signed leases at rental properties, insured the property, and then set fire to the insured property to collect insurance money.

Their indictment this year alleged that the fraud involved 30 properties and began as early as 2000, continuing until as recently as November.

The case was investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the fire departments in Henrico and Richmond.

- From staff reports