(WWJ) A Plymouth man faces up to life in prison after he was convicted on arson charges stemming from a fire that destroyed his home.
The Michigan Attorney General's Office says 42-year old Patrick Nolan attempted to make an insurance claim for the loss of his house, in the 50000 block of Sheffield Court, after he set it on fire back on Jan. 1, 2019.
Investigators from Michigan State Police and other departments were able to determine that the fire was intentionally set by Nolan, who owned the home, the AG said, and had it insured for loss caused by fire.
Detectives used information from Nolan's truck's infotainment system to put him at the home just before the fire started.
They also found gas was poured throughout the house, and the fire started in three separate, unconnected areas of the home.
"The fire was human caused," investigators concluded, and no natural causes were found.
Nolan was found guilty by a jury in the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County of one count of Arson of an Insured Dwelling, a potential life-sentence offense, and one count of Second Degree Arson, a 20-year felony.
Each count also carries a potential fine of $20,000 or three times the value of the property, whichever is greater.
"Every arson represents another instance where our firefighters and first responders risk their lives to protect public safety, and that's an unacceptable danger to our communities," said Attorney General Dana Nessel, in a statement.
"I am grateful for the investigative collaboration between my Department and the Fraud Investigation Unit at the Department of Insurance and Financial Services, that ultimately lead to these criminal convictions. Insurance fraud drives up the costs of insurance policies for consumers everywhere."
No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and no one was injured.
Nolan is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17.
