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LIVE OAK, Calif. — A Live Oak city councilman was arrested amid an investigation into a 2024 arson and insurance fraud.

According to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, three men were arrested Thursday on $1 million warrants. They were identified as: Aaron Pamma, 30; Simren Pamma, 28; and Gurtej Singh, 28.

Aaron Pamma is a city councilmember and vice mayor for Live Oak, an unincorporated city in Sutter County about 50 miles north of Sacramento.

The investigation began in February 2024 when an arson fire damaged a farmhouse on Ord Ferry Road in Butte County.

Cal Fire investigators found Singh bought the house and orchards in April 2023 using a USDA mortgage program. A month later, Singh allegedly transferred 50% ownership of the property to Aaron and Simren Pamma.

Prosecutors say Singh bought an insurance policy on the house three months before the fire and allegedly made several false/misleading statements in the policy application, as well as after the fire.

"They have all been friends for years, investing in properties, that is what we all do up here,” said Michael Barrette, an attorney representing Aaron Pamma. “At the time of the fire, my client was at a family event in another county.”

Barrette questioned the timing of the charges.

"We have to wonder if there’s something else going on," he said."There is some political motivation. We don’t know, but obviously we are going to investigate this fully."

Investigators say the three men sold the property shortly after the fire and collected payment from insurance, yielding a gross profit of around $200,000.

Barrette pushed back on the allegations that the men profited from the deal.

“To the extent that they claim that they made $200,000 on this, they don’t have all the information," Barrette added. "Rehabilitating the orchard, rehabilitating the property, in fact if anything, the evidence is going to show they lost money on this
sale."

A fourth man, Javier Molina-Bravo, is still wanted. Prosecutors say he owns Big Dog Handyman and the three men hired him to renovate the farmhouse after they bought it.

Molina-Bravo is accused of writing bad checks to purchase thousands of dollars of materials from businesses in Chico for that project. He failed to appear for a scheduled hearing.

The city of Live Oak issued the following statement about Aaron Pamma’s arrest:

"The City of Live Oak is aware of the recent arrest of Councilmember Aaron Pamma. At this time, the City is monitoring the situation and will continue to assess any developments as more information becomes available.

The Live Oak City Council and staff remain steadfast in their commitment to responsible governance and continued progress for the community. The City’s focus remains on delivering essential services and moving forward with key priorities that benefit
the residents of Live Oak.

City Council and staff have no comment on the situation."

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/live-oak-city-councilmember-arrested-arson-fraud/103-a0db0e5f-29b7-4653-9d8e-c7c35a052d75

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