SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney arraigned Paul La, 58, of Sacramento, today on a 10-count indictment charging him with arson of a commercial structure, arson to commit a federal felony, and mail fraud, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to the indictment, on February 6, 2011, La intentionally set fire to Golden Nails & Hair, a salon that he owned at 8335 Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento. La then knowingly lied about the cause of the fire and the extent of his destroyed business property in order to obtain payment from his insurance company.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Amanda Beck are prosecuting the case.
La was arrested on Monday. Following his arraignment today, the court ordered La’s temporary detention. The court will again examine the issue of his detention or release on Thursday, May 26, 2016.
If convicted, La faces a minimum 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison for arson to a commercial structure; a consecutive 10 years in prison for arson to commit another felony; and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud. Each indictment count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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