Woodstock man accused of setting car on fire in insurance fraud scheme gets probation

A Woodstock man was sentenced to two years of probation stemming from charges that he set his 2018 Volkswagen GTI on fire with intent to defraud an insurance company, McHenry County Court records show.

Giovanni Cervantes-Brito, 24, of the 300 block of Leah Lane, Woodstock, entered a guilty plea before Judge Tiffany Davis to one count of attempted disorderly conduct, a Class A misdemeanor. In exchange for the plea, all other charges were dropped, including two counts of arson.

Cervantes-Brito originally was charged with two counts of arson/damage to property worth more than $150 and arson with intent to defraud an insurance company of $150 or more, Class 2 felonies, as well as disorderly conduct making a false crime report, according to the complaint.

Police said that about 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 2023, Cervantes-Brito moved his vehicle to a remote area and set it on fire with the intention of reporting it stolen and damaging it “beyond repair to defraud the insurer, American Family Insurance,” according to the complaint.

He then called the North East Regional Communications Center, which handles 911 calls for much of McHenry County, and reported the vehicle stolen. He told dispatchers that the vehicle was stolen from a property in the 200 block of Joseph Street in Woodstock, according to the complaint.

Cervantes-Brito also was sentenced to serve nine days periodically in county jail, drug screenings, receive mental health counseling and a $500 fine, according to court documents.