Man Sets Own House On Fire To Claim Insurance, Charged

A man in New Jersey was charged with insurance fraud after he set his own house on fire in a bid to earn compensation for the losses incurred.

The incident occurred in December, sparking an investigation. Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said on Friday that they determined the man did that on purpose.

Gilmar Tejada, 37, of East Hanover, was facing aggravated arson and two counts of insurance fraud, officials said. He was found guilty of igniting his Cedar Street home on Dec. 21, 2019, and filing fake insurance documents thereafter.

No other person except Tejada was present at the house when it caught fire, officials said, adding that no injuries were reported but the house was significantly damaged.

Tejada was the co-owner of the home where he lived with his family. The other owner was not been charged.

He was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility, according to local media.

In a similar incident, a man in the Indian state of Chandigarh was arrested in 2018 for hatching a life insurance fraud plan. He sought to fake his own death by killing a laborer and burning the body beyond recognition in his car, in an effort to collect the insurance money. Akash, 47, a property dealer, was facing multiple charges including that of murder and was remanded in custody.