Toledo woman admits to insurance fraud scheme

Lucas County Courthouse

A South Toledo woman pleaded no contest Wednesday to scheming with a man to burn his home for insurance money. 

Gloria Hollingsworth, 36, of the 500 block of Carlton Street, pleaded no contest to insurance fraud, a third-degree felony, under a bill of information which was filed Tuesday. She was originally charged with two counts of complicity, one first and one second-degree felony, but those will be dismissed at sentencing with the plea agreement. 

Last week, her co-defendant, Arif Farooki, entered an Alford plea — not admitting guilt — to aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, and insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. 

At about 3 a.m. June 30, firefighters responded to a fire at the West Lincolnshire Boulevard home. Investigators later learned Farooki and Ms. Hollingsworth concocted a plan to set the house ablaze, assistant county prosecutor Mark Herr said.

Farooki poured gasoline on the home, lit it on fire, and later called the insurance company seeking a claim of $160,000, Mr. Herr said.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda will sentence Farooki and Hollingsworth on Oct. 24.