Alleged Arson Ring Charged With Scheming To Torch Homes For Insurance Cash

The U.S Attorney's Office in Miami, Florida recently announced that defendants Iraida Alvarez, Adiaris Figuerola, Alexis Perez, Erlin Oswaldo Perez, Carlos Stewart and Rosa Stewart, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit arson in connection with an insurance fraud scheme. An excerpt from the press release:

• According to the criminal complaint, the defendants worked together during the three-month period from August to October 2008, to plan to burn a home in Sunrise, Florida, to collect the insurance proceeds. The target home's coverage on the policy with State Farm Insurance Company amounted to almost $400,000.

• According to the complaint affidavit, the defendants claimed to have experience burning homes. Alexis Perez and Figuerola confirmed that they were efficient and competent at this scheme, and Figuerola bragged that they "do this all the time," and that some fires had been used to conceal other crimes, including murder.

• One defendant, Alvarez, even admitted to burning down her own home in June 2007 to walk away from the mortgage and to collect the insurance proceeds. As payment for their services, the defendants would receive a total of $6,000 plus 20% of the insurance settlement.

For more, see Six Defendants Charged In Arson Scheme To Collect On Home Insurance Policy. ArsonForeclosureAlpha