WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A Yonkers man has been indicted on multiple charges, including arson and insurance fraud, for allegedly orchestrating a plot to burn down his own home in a scheme to collect more than $1.3 million from his insurance policy.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced Wednesday that 59-year-old Majid Haddad, also known as Peter Haddad, was arrested and arraigned on a six-count indictment. The charges include conspiracy in the fourth degree, arson in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, insurance fraud in the first and third degrees, and intimidating a victim or witness in the third degree.
“This defendant allegedly provided a co-conspirator with a detailed plan to burn down his house so he could unlawfully obtain insurance money,” DA Rocah said in a statement. “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 prosecutors, between February 20 and 28, 2021, Haddad enlisted a man to set fire to his single-family home on Odell Avenue. He allegedly provided the co-conspirator with detailed instructions, purchased gasoline canisters, and demonstrated how to ignite the fire using a cigarette and matches. Days before the fire, Haddad allegedly drove the man to buy gasoline and supplied him with funds for transportation after the job was completed.
On February 28, 2021, just before 1:00 a.m., the Yonkers Fire Department responded to a massive blaze at the home, which caused an explosion and reduced the structure to rubble. Firefighters managed to contain the flames, preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring homes, which were just 20 to 30 feet away.
Prosecutors allege Haddad filed a claim with Adirondack Insurance Exchange shortly after the fire, seeking more than $1.3 million for the loss of the home and its purported contents.
Haddad was arraigned before Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Larry J. Schwartz, who set bail at $25,000 cash, $100,000 bond, or $200,000 partially secured bond. Haddad is scheduled to return to court on January 10, 2025.
Authorities say the investigation revealed a deliberate and dangerous attempt to profit from the fire, which endangered firefighters and nearby residents.
