A Huntingdon Valley man has been sentenced to serve 16 years in federal prison for setting fire to his own Northeast Philadelphia auto repair shop in an insurance fraud scheme.
Michael Giamo, 31, owned One Source Motors at 14001 Bustleton Ave. in Somerton on May 24, 2010, when another man set fire to the business at Giamo’s direction, authorities said. Giamo later collected $127,000 in insurance proceeds, lied to federal investigators and attempted to destroy incriminating records, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a printed statement.
On March 1, 2012, a federal jury convicted Giamo of mail fraud, conspiracy to use fire to commit mail fraud, setting fire to a building used in interstate commerce, lying to federal agents and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson on Nov. 16 sentenced Giamo to 16 years in prison, as well as restitution of more than $200,000.
Giamo’s co-conspirator, Isael Kniestedt, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to 7–1/2 years in prison. ••
