WAYNE COUNTY, GEORGIA: A 34-year-old Georgia woman is facing criminal charges after forcing her stepchild to set a fire inside their house on at least two separate incidents, in order to collect insurance payments. On July 14, officers from the Jesup Fire Department were dispatched to put out the blaze at Courtney Sellers' residence on Pine Circle in Wayne County.
The Jesup FD then requested the State Fire Marshal’s Office to launch an investigation into the fire following a review of video and audio footage captured by the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office on July 14. The footage revealed that Sellers compelled her stepchild to start a fire inside their home. “Based on the footage and interviews conducted, investigators determined that Ms Sellers compelled her stepchild to start a fire inside the home for insurance money on two separate occasions,” Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said, according to NY Post. Although it varies depending on coverage, the average insurance payout for fire and lighting claims was $77,340 in 2022, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Who is Courtney Sellers?
Sellers was arrested on July 18 following a probe from the State Fire Marshal’s Office. She has been charged with arson, insurance fraud, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children. Currently being held at the Wayne County Jail, Sellers faces a minimum of nine years in prison. It is currently unclear if she has an attorney at the moment. Her arrest came amid a surge in house fire cases in the United States. In a five-year period, house fires caused 2,620 deaths and $6.9 billion in property damage, according to The Zebra.
Woman set house on fire to stop deputies from executing search warrant
Previously, a 67-year-old woman was arrested in June after deputies say she set her own house on fire while they tried to serve a search warrant. At that time, the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office noted that officers were called to the 67000 block of Ottawa Drive in Sherman Township to aid in the whereabouts of a wanted woman. When they reached the residence and sought to speak with Mary Ann Finney, she allegedly shouted obscenities and refused to leave. Deputies said they tried everything to persuade Finney to come out of the residence and even prepared a search warrant. When they attempted to force entry, they say Finney ignited a fire inside her house.
“My deputies found themselves in the middle of an extremely volatile situation,” said Undersheriff Jason Bingaman in a press release sent to 16 News Now. “Even though they train for alternative outcomes, no one expected this individual to set their house on fire. Our deputies acted with professionalism, quickly de-escalated the situation, and removed the suspect from their burning house,” he continued. Finney was arrested and charged with criminal arson of real property, assault on a police officer, and resisting and obstructing police. The press release from the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office did not indicate that there were any injuries in this incident.
