STERLING, Va. — An 80-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering his neighbor in an insurance fraud scheme.
On Wednesday, a jury convened by the Loudoun County Circuit Court found Jacob Bogatin guilty of first-degree murder in the fatal fire that occurred on Oct. 24, 2025, in Sterling, Virginia. A joint investigation by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal's Office and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office determined the fatal three-alarm fire that killed Madelaine Samantha Akers, 36, was intentionally set.
The jury convened by the Loudoun County Circuit Court found Bogatin guilty of first-degree murder, three counts of arson of an occupied dwelling and one count of arson of personal property valued at more than $1,000. All of the charges are felonies.
Fire and rescue crews responded to the townhomes in the 20,000 block of Riptide Square shortly after 1 a.m. following reports of a structure fire with possible entrapment. When crews arrived, they found two townhomes heavily engulfed in flames, with the fire quickly spreading to a third unit.
Because of the intensity of the fire and the threat of structural collapse, firefighters initially attacked the blaze from outside before entering the buildings. Once the fire was under control, first responders found Akers' remains inside one of the townhomes.
Click for full story.