Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Arson, Insurance Fraud

A western Missouri man has admitted leading a conspiracy to buy cheap houses and set them on fire to collect nearly $435,000 in insurance benefits. The U.S. Attorney’s office says 27-year-old Joshua Stamps, of Independence, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges alleging arson and insurance fraud. Prosecutors said Stamps and his co-conspirators bought five Kansas City houses at prices ranging from $6,500 to $15,000 but insured them for as much as $307,000.