The story was covered extensively by local news as well, with Denis Molla’s wife, Deana Molla, appearing at his side during interviews, asking why someone would target them for their political beliefs.
“These people knew that we had children,” Deana Molla told KARE 11 as footage played of the fire-damaged playground equipment in their yard. “And they still thought it was okay to do this.”
Deana Molla was not named in the initial indictment and it’s not clear what she knew about her husband’s scheme.
It all could have ended right there, with a nationally-recognized news story about left-wing craziness and the intolerance of political differences. But apparently Denis Molla had a different motive for the hoax. Molla submitted insurance claims for his garage, camper, trucks, and his house totaling roughly $300,000. Amazingly, Molla had the audacity to question his insurance company’s denial of some of those claims, despite their fraudulent nature.
“When Molla’s insurance company denied some of those claims, Molla submitted a written complaint to the insurance company claiming that it was defrauding him and threatened to report the company to the Department of Commerce and to the Attorney General,” the DOJ said in a statement.
Molla also pocketed $17,135.94 from a GoFundMe campaign called “Patriots For the Mollas” where he documented his property losses and “thanked the numerous donors,” in the comments, according to the indictment filed by the Department of Justice. Molla also reiterated his threats to the insurance company in those GoFundMe comments, according to the DOJ.
There were plenty of people who found the whole thing suspicious from the outset. For starters, anyone spray-painting an anarchy symbol is unlikely to be a supporter of Biden, one of the most centrist Democrats around. And even people affiliated with BLM, which stands for “Black Lives Matter,” aren’t the biggest Biden fans around.
But there were other things that skeptics picked up on, such as the claim early on that “one of the family’s surveillance cameras was blocked just before the explosion,” according to a story by WCCO in Minnesota.
Molla’s story was also a little too perfect as a ploy for sympathy, as that same story from CBS said, “the family was also able to save four puppies from the smoke-filled garage.” Puppies! Saved from a burning garage! Why not say you saved Grandma and apple pie as well, Mr. True Blooded American?
Molla faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 and will be sentenced at a later date. You can click through the slideshow for more photos of the hoax that were shown on various newscasts around the country.
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The supposed vandalism
The supposed vandalism
The Molla family gave this photo to news outlets like WCCO in Minnesota to show the damage that had been done to their property.
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After the flames went out
After the flames went out
“We live in the greatest country in the world and the greatest thing about America is we have the right to say what we want to say and not be attacked for it, and that’s totally been violated,” Deana Molla told Minnesota’s KMSP TV station.
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The Trump flag
The Trump flag
Deana Molla gave this photo to local news stations to show they were proud Trump supporters.
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The vehicles on fire
The vehicles on fire
Minnesota’s CBS TV affiliate WCCO broadcast this image as evidence that the Molla family had been targeted by left-wing extremists.
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One happy Trump-loving family
One happy Trump-loving family
The Molla family also gave this photo to news outlets, showing that they supported Trump in 2020.
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Think of the children
Think of the children
KARE 11 in Minnesota captured video of the fire damaged backyard, including the childrens’ playset, for maximum emotional impact.
“My son’s bedroom, his window is facing the garage. My son smelled like smoke this morning when I was putting him down to sleep after the whole thing, he smelled like smoke, so it just blows my mind that someone would stoop this low,” Deana Molla told KSTP.
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