New Whiteland man arrested on arson charge

<p>A New Whiteland man was arrested after police said he set his own home on fire earlier this year to collect insurance money, according to court documents.</p><p>Michael Moss, 43, was arrested on a charge of arson.</p><p>Fire departments were dispatched to Moss’ home at 1019 Ashland Ave., New Whiteland about 5 p.m. March 25 on a call of a fire.</p><p>A Greenwood fire department marshal told police that the fire started in the kitchen and that it had caused extensive damage to the home, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Circuit Court.</p><p>The fire marshal told police that a sofa chair in the kitchen had been set on fire, which is what caused the fire damage to the home. Moss told the fire marshal that he was struggling to move the sofa chair out of the house’s back door when he heard an electrical sound. Moss then said he left the home and when he returned, the chair was on fire, the affidavit said.</p><p>Moss then told the fire marshal that a lighter fell out of the sofa chair and must have somehow ignited to start the fire, according to the affidavit.</p><p>The fire marshal told police that the backdoor was closed when the fire started, which meant that Moss was not trying to move the sofa chair out of the home, the affidavit said.</p><p>Moss then told detectives that he lit the lighter to see if it worked and kept it lit as he passed by the sofa chair. Moss later said he lit the sofa chair on fire because he was having difficulties moving it through the door and wanted to make it smaller, according to the affidavit.</p><p>He then told detectives that he intentionally started the fire to damage one room to &quot;get ahead,&quot; and that he did not mean for the fire to burn the home down, the affidavit said.</p><p>Detectives found that Moss and his wife had the home, other structures, personal property and loss of use of the home, insured for more than $300,000.</p><p>Moss was arrested Monday evening and taken to the Johnson County jail, where he was released on $1,200 bond.</p>