Olin woman charged in insurance fraud scheme involving arson

CEDAR RAPIDS - The girlfriend of a convicted former Jones County Sheriff's deputy and volunteer firefighter has been charged in federal court for participating with him in a scheme to defraud an insurance company involving arson.

Beth Galloway, 41, of Olin, on Monday was charged with one count of mail fraud in U.S. District Court. She is accused of participating with James Plower, 51, of Olin, who admitted to burning down his house in Martelle in 2013 in order to collect $150,000 in insurance money. He was convicted of mail fraud and use of fire to commit a felony last year and is serving 13 years in federal prison. He also was ordered to pay more than $152,000 in restitution to the insurance company.

Plower resigned from the sheriff's department in March 2014, after the investigation started.

An affidavit filed in Galloway's case shows Plower planned to burn down the house and Galloway, at least, knew of the plan. They couldn't afford the needed repairs and wanted to rebuild on the foundation. Plower's ex-wife told a fire marshal in 2014 that he made statements to her about burning down the property while they were married. They divorced in 2002, according to documents.

The ex-wife also told authorities Plower told her he would make it look like an electrical malfunction or make it look like a cat knocked over a candle and started the fire, the affidavit shows.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Plower's case, he moved out of his Martelle house and then insured the house for damage and loss as a result of fire. The insurance policy didn't cover loss or damage deliberately caused by the insured.

Plower told police Galloway wasn't involved, according to the affidavit, but admitted some of the insurance money went to pay Galloway's car payments and other bills. During a search of their home, investigators seized $5,320 in cash.

Plower eventually told investigators that Galloway attempted to start a fire at the house in the bathroom before he first tried to start a fire. He said Galloway knew what he was planning.

In December 2014, an Olin city clerk, who was friends with Galloway, told investigators that after the house fire, the couple brought her $10,000 and told her they didn't want authorities to seize it as part of their investigation. At some point, Galloway told the clerk that Plower set the fire.

On June 15, Plower, from prison, told investigators Galloway used $2,000 to help her father and another $4,000 went to Galloway's attorney for her child custody case.

Galloway also faces a second-degree arson charge in the Martelle house fire in Jones County District Court, court documents show.