Man who claimed vandals targeted him for Trump flag pleads guilty to fraud

Feds investigating suspicious fire at Brooklyn Center home with Trump 2020 sign

Federal authorities are helping investigate a suspicious fire at a home in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota that had a large Trump 2020 sign.

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Brooklyn Center man who claimed vandals spray painted "Biden 2020" on his garage and torched his camper due to a Trump 2020 flag has pleaded guilty to fraud for faking the incident.

Thirty-year-old Denis Molla was charged in the case after the fire in September 2020, in which prosecutors say he falsely reported to police that three men lit his camper on fire and vandalized his garage with graffiti supporting President Biden, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa. Molla also claimed the vandals targeted his camper because of a "Trump 2020" flag he had on it.

Authorities say Molla submitted multiple insurance claims for the damage to his camper, garage, and vehicles. Prosecutors say he collected $61,000 in insurance claims and more than $17,000 from a GoFundMe.

Molla pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in the hoax. He will be sentenced at a later date for the crime.

Crime and Public Safety Brooklyn Center Politics