Vacant lot at 423 Odell Avenue, the site of alleged Arson in 2021
Defendant allegedly enlisted a man to burn down his own house in attempt to claim more than $1.3 million from his home insurance policy
On Dec. 19, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that a Yonkers man was arrested and arraigned on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, arson and insurance fraud in connection with a scheme where he enlisted a man to set fire to his Yonkers home and attempted to obtain more than $1.3 million from his home insurance policy.
DA Rocah said: “This defendant allegedly provided a co-conspirator with a detailed plan to burn down his house so he could unlawfully obtain insurance money. 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.”
The defendant, Majid Haddad, aka Peter Haddad, 69 of Yonkers, was arrested Tuesday by the Yonkers Police Department and arraigned Wednesday before Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Larry J. Schwartz on a six-count indictment charging him with conspiracy in the fourth degree, arson in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, insurance fraud in the first degree, insurance fraud in the third degree and intimidating a victim or witness in the third degree.
Bail was set at $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond and $200,000 partially-secured bond, and the defendant is ordered to return to court on Jan. 10, 2025.
It is alleged that between Feb. 20 and 28, 2021, the defendant enlisted a man and instructed him to apply gasoline to the inside of the defendant’s home with the intent to ignite a fire that would destroy the property. It is further alleged that days before the fire, the defendant drove the man to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, giving him money to purchase gasoline canisters, and to a gas station to purchase gasoline, then demonstrated how to ignite the fire using a cigarette and a pack of matches and provided money for transportation after completing the job.
The Yonkers Fire Department responded just before 1:00 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2021 to the single-family home on Odell Avenue that was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to contain the fire, which had caused an explosion, and was approximately 20 and 30 feet from the two neighboring homes. Based on the rapid pace and spread of the fire, the house collapsed and was deemed a total loss.
The defendant then allegedly filed a home insurance claim with Adirondack Insurance Exchange and attempted to obtain at least $1.3 million for the loss of the home and its purported contents.
After an investigation by the Yonkers Police Department and the Yonkers Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit, the investigation was referred to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Waszak of the Trials & Investigations Division.
