Kansas City, Kan. ? A former church music director who admitted setting fire to the northeast Kansas church where he worked has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

Forty-six-year-old Carva Lee White was accused of setting fires at Sunflower Missionary Baptist Church in Leavenworth in October 2008. He pleaded guilty last year to attempted mail fraud and using arson in an attempt to commit mail fraud.

White, who’s from Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Kansas.

White must also pay restitution of $1,000 to the church and almost $375,000 to Wisconsin-based Church Mutual Insurance Co.

Prosecutors said White started a large fire at the church in a scheme to collect kickbacks from contractors who would be hired to repair the building.