An alleged attempted arson for insurance fraud was foiled Sunday when the owner of a Claypool store reportedly handed over money and gasoline to an undercover agent.

According to local and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials, Kuldip Singh, also known as Balraj Singh, 41, of 301 N. Fellowship Drive, North Manchester, solicited a local law enforcement official to burn down the store because it apparently wasn't solvent.

Mark Trimble, assistant special agent in charge at the ATF division office in Columbus, Ohio, said Singh initially asked Claypool Town Marshal Gene Warner to commit the arson. Trimble said Singh apparently wasn't aware of Warner's standing in the community, although he reportedly purchased the store from Warner. Warner took his information to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department and the investigation included the ATF because the building in question deals in interstate commerce, Trimble said.

An undercover ATF agent acted as a "torch" - someone who is paid to burn a building, Trimble said, and an exchange of money and gasoline was made at a location in North Manchester on Sunday. Singh was taken into custody at that time and was being held in the St. Joseph County Jail on federal charges of attempted arson and soliciting an undercover agent.

Singh is the owner of the G&V Food Mart at 101 S. Main St., Claypool. The store is currently closed. Singh also owns mini-marts in North Manchester, officials said.

Detective Sgt. Sam Whitaker of the KCSD said Singh is from Palestine and is believed to be a legal immigrant to the United States. However, Singh does reportedly have prior felony arrests.

Trimble said the case against Singh is "pretty straightforward" and the events unfolded over the course of about seven days.

"I'm really tickled we were able to get ahead of this ... and get it wrapped up so quickly," Trimble said. Typically, he said, the ATF doesn't get involved in arson cases until after the fact, but through Warner's quick response to the situation, the agency was able to save the destruction of the building and the possible fraudulent payment of insurance money. He said it's always appreciated when information on cases such as this is received in the planning stages.

"We must be careful when we get involved in such an investigation," Trimble said. "Ideally, we want to wrap it up quickly before (the suspect) acts on his own." [[In-content Ad]]