GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Gerald Eugene Singer, 74, of Muskegon, Michigan, was sentenced to 55 years in prison, U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles announced today. In addition to the prison terms, United States District Judge Gordon J. Quist also ordered Singer to pay $653,140 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.
 2608-2614 7th Street, Muskegon Heights, MI, a four-unit apartment complex insured by Farm Bureau General Insurance Company (destroyed by fire on August 28, 2007).
two attempted fires at properties in Muskegon Heights, MI.
The jury also convicted Singer of filing a false tax-related document each year between 2005 and 2008 for failing to disclose to the IRS approximately $500,000 in insurance proceeds from the fire at "The Fair" fabric store in Norton Shores. Singer also was convicted of obstructing the administration of tax laws by causing false individual income tax returns for tax years 2005 through 2008 to be filed; making false and misleading statements to IRS officials about his individual income tax returns; misleading his tax preparer by withholding information; concealing income from the IRS by means of "structuring" the payout of insurance funds; and causing the filing of false home buyer tax credit claims against the IRS.
Daryl McCrary, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives ("ATF") and Carolyn Weber, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation ("IRS-CI"), joined in the announcement of the sentences.
Under federal sentencing laws, the Court was required to sentence Singer to at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison for the arson convictions. The law also mandated that Singer receive a consecutive minimum sentence of 10 years for the first conviction of using fire to commit mail fraud and two additional mandatory consecutive minimum sentences of 20 years for the second and third convictions for using fire to commit mail fraud.
This case was investigated by the Grand Rapids offices of the ATF and IRS-CI, and the Muskegon Heights Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael MacDonald and Christopher O'Connor prosecuted the case..