Kansas firefighters accused of setting fires to get money
A former volunteer fire department chief on the Kickapoo Tribe Reservation in Kansas is facing federal charges for allegedly conspiring to set fires that the department was paid to fight.
A federal grand jury in Topeka on Wednesday indicted 26-year-old Stephen D. Ramirez, the former chief, on four counts of wire fraud.
A volunteer firefighter, Arlene M. Negonsott, 34, was also indicted on the same charges, federal prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, the Kickapoo Tribe had a contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide fire service on the reservation. The tribe was paid $600 for each fire it fought, according to the terms of the contract.
The indictment says Ramirez recruited Negonsott to set fires on the reservation. Six grass fires allegedly were set from July to November 2015, according to the indictment.
Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc
This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Kansas firefighters accused of setting fires to get money."