Former deputy sentenced for insurance fraud. He set his car on fire to get the money

A former Fresno County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Friday to time served in jail for attempting to commit insurance fraud.

Sher Moua, a deputy sheriff for 18 years, last year pleaded no contest to one count of making a false or fraudulent claim after setting his car on fire to collect the insurance money. Three related charges were dropped.

Judge David Gottlieb on Friday placed him on probation. He ordered Moua to stay away from alcohol, attend a substance abuse training program, and said he cannot possess weapons.

Moua spent 60 days in jail, including for failing to appear in court for sentencing after pleading no contest in May 2018. He no longer works for the sheriff’s office.

The case started in Clovis at 2:33 a.m. April 1, 2017, when police responded to call about a vehicle on fire near Caeser and Spruce avenues. They found a burning Toyota 4Runner.

Officers soon found the owner, Moua, who lived nearby. Moua told them his car had been stolen and that he had just bought insurance for it.

Moua’s story did not add up, so an investigator started looking into the case, Clovis police Sgt. Jim Munro said. During that time, the insurance company contacted police about a claim made by Moua, he said.

The investigator also found video surveillance tape from a nearby business that did not jibe with statements to police, he said.

Moua was questioned by officers and admitted he had burned the car to collect the insurance. He was arrested May 30, 2017.