Live Oak elected officials accused of arson, fraud are arraigned

Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.Appeal-Democrat

Two Live Oak elected officials accused by authorities of being part of a “conspiracy ring” pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Butte County court to arson and insurance fraud charges.

Live Oak Vice Mayor Aarondeep “Aaron” Pamma, 30, and Live Oak Unified School District Board Trustee Simren Pamma, 28, pleaded not guilty to arson of a structure or property, defrauding an insurer, and willfully making a false insurance claim, according to Butte County Superior Court.

Gurtej Singh, a 28-year-old Yuba City resident, was also arrested in June in relation to the Pamma brothers’ case. He was booked on the same charges plus a perjury charge. Singh pleaded not guilty to his four charges at the Wednesday arraignment.

The Pamma brothers and Singh have a preliminary hearing date set for Oct. 15. They were released from custody June 23 on a $250,000 bail.

The charges stem from an alleged arson fire that occurred Feb. 17, 2024, at a property on Ord Ferry Road in Butte County. Singh purchased that property in April 2023 using a U.S. Department of Agriculture mortgage program, and transferred 50% of ownership to the Pamma brothers, according to Butte County District Attorney Michael L. Ramsey. The fire severely damaged a farmhouse on the property.

Singh purchased an insurance policy on the farmhouse three months before the fire. Investigators alleged that Singh and Aaron Pamma made numerous false or misleading claims on the application.

Officials said that shortly after the fire, the three suspects sold the property and received an estimated gross profit of more than $200,000 from the insurance company.

Javier Molina-Bravo, 37, of Corning, was also charged in March with multiple felony counts of check fraud in connection with the Pamma brothers and Singh. Molina-Bravo allegedly used fraudulent checks to purchase thousands of dollars worth of items for renovations after the Pamma brothers and Singh hired his company, Big Dog Handyman, to work on the damaged farmhouse. He is currently a wanted fugitive from justice.