Nick Hytrek
Sioux City Journal, Iowa
(MCT)
May 24—SAC CITY, Iowa. — A Greene County (IA) couple has pleaded not guilty of intentionally setting fire to a Wall Lake, Iowa, house and receiving more than $50,000 from an insurance company for lost property.
Melissa Dopheide, 40, and Andrew Wempe, 39, both of Scranton, Iowa, entered their written pleas in Sac County District Court to charges of first-degree arson, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, fraudulent submission, neglect of a dependent person, forgery, ongoing criminal conduct and three counts of perjury.
一个ccording to court documents, Dopheide was a tenant in a home at 124 Center St. in Wall Lake and was evicted in January 2020. After all valuable items had been moved to a detached garage on Jan. 8, fire broke out at the house on Jan. 9. Because of suspicious circumstances, the Iowa State Fire Marshal was called, and an investigation determined that the gas line to the furnace had been loosened and a candle was used to ignite the gas. Both Dopheide and Wempe, along with Dopheide’s 2-year-old son, were at the house when the fire was started, court documents said.
Dopheide later filed an insurance claim and received $53,969 for loss of property. According to court documents, the property Dopheide claimed was destroyed either was not destroyed or never existed.
Dopheide, with Wempe’s knowledge or support, also lied during court proceedings and filings, court documents said.
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