7 years, 3 months ago by Scott Hardy
Week-long case heard in Federal court in Springfield, sentenced May 22.
A Quincy man has been convicted for his role in a fire that destroyed two pieces of farm equipment in 2014.
A federal jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts late Tuesday on mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud against 53 year old Dean Mowen, for his involvement in an insurance fraud scheme. Evidence from Federal prosecutors showed that in August 2015, Mowen and co-defendant David Speer went to Mississippi to pay about 30 thousand dollars for a tractor and a combine. Afterwards, Mowen added the machinery to his insurance policy, and valued them at 108 thousand. Mowen and Speer then agreed that Speer would set the tractor and combine on fire, which he did on October 1st. Mowen then put in a claim for the loss, and both men provided false receipts for the implements. Mowen remains free on bond and will be sentenced May 22nd. He could get up to 25 years in Federal prison.
Speer previously plead guilty in August to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He also plead Guilty in a separate case to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property from a case in 2014. Speer's scheduled to be sentenced February 27th. He could get up to 15 years in Federal prison.
