Homeowners In Financial Distress Face Arson, Insurance Fraud Charges

The owners of a Bird Island home destroyed by fire in January have now been charged in connection with that fire. Jeffrey George Ackerson Jr., 34, is facing felony charges of arson, insurance fraud and cruelty to animals, while his wife, Sheena Marie Ackerson, 36, has been charged with one felony count of aiding and abetting insurance fraud. The home was deemed a complete loss, and the family dog was killed in the fire on Jan. 15. The couple received two checks from American Family Insurance for $5,000 each, along with temporary housing in Hector, paid for by the insurance company, court documents said.