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An Edmonds, Washington woman admitted to setting her doll store on fire so she could collect some insurance money, according to HeraldNet.
Connie Bigelow, 53, pleaded guilty to wire fraud Monday (September 26) in the U.S. District Court in Seattle. On April 30, 2018, Bigelow allegedly set three Thomas Kinkade paintings each worth thousands of dollars on fire inside CJN Miniatures & More.
The next day, she reportedly put in a claim with her insurance company. She told insurance representatives someone broke into her business and started the fire, records say.
"She carried a policy with State Farm covering up to $100,000 in loss of business property and loss of income. The policy didn’t cover claims involving arson," reporters pointed out.
The former business owner reportedly fell behind on payments for rent and other bills between October 2017 and April 2018.
Bigelow admitted to starting the fire in a plea agreement. She also agreed to pay full restitution, which is currently estimated at $195,000. "That number could go up as the court identifies more people who lost property in the fire," HeraldNet added.
Her sentencing is scheduled for December 17.