Homeowner Hired Arsonist To Burn Down House In $1.3M Insurance Con: DA

YONKERS, NY — A Westchester man who outsourced an insurance fraud arson has been tied to the crime, according to fire investigators.

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Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced on Thursday that a Yonkers man was arrested and arraigned on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, arson and insurance fraud related to a scheme where he hired a man to set fire to his Yonkers home and attempted to collect more than $1.3 million from insurance.

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“This defendant allegedly provided a co-conspirator with a detailed plan to burn down his house so he could unlawfully obtain insurance money,” Rocah said. “The fire and explosion at the defendant’s home put lives at risk. We take these cases very seriously and will continue to work to hold this defendant accountable for his alleged conduct.”

According to the DA’s Office, between Feb. 20 and 28, 2021, Majid Haddad, a/k/a “Peter Haddad,” allegedly hired a man and told him to apply gasoline to the inside of Haddad’s home to ignite a fire that would destroy the property. A few days before the fire, Haddad drove the man to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, gave him money to purchase gasoline canisters, drove him to a gas station to purchase gasoline, showed him how to ignite the fire using a cigarette and a pack of matches, and provided money for transportation after the job was done, according to cops.

The Yonkers Fire Department responded around 1 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2021 to the single-family Odell Ave. home, which was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to contain the fire, which caused an explosion, and was around 20 and 30 feet from the two neighboring homes. Based on the rapid speed and spread of the fire, Haddad’s house collapsed and was deemed a total loss.

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Haddad then filed a home insurance claim with Adirondack Insurance Exchange and tried to obtain at least $1.3 million for the loss of the home and its contents, according to investigators.

After an investigation by the Yonkers Police Department and the Yonkers Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit, the case was referred to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

The 59-year-old was arrested Tuesday by the Yonkers Police Department and arraigned on Wednesday before Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Larry J. Schwartz on a six-count indictment charging him with fourth degree conspiracy, third degree arson, first degree reckless endangerment, first degree insurance fraud, third degree insurance fraud, and third degree intimidating a victim or witness.

Bail was set at $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond and $200,000 partially-secured bond, and Haddad was ordered to return to court on Jan. 10.