Northern California city councilor among 3 arrested in alleged arson, insurance fraud scheme
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.
, 30, was booked into jail on Thursday along with Simren Pamma, 28, who is , 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.
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.
The district attorney's office confirmed to CBS Sacramento that the Pammas are brothers and that Singh is a friend of theirs.
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.
"This has been a months-long investigation by our local Cal Fire investigators that started out with an investigation of a fire on the west side of Butte County," Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said.
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.
"There very well may be other arrests and activity going out of this conspiracy," Ramsey said.
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.
