New Jersey Man Charged With Arson and Insurance Fraud Tied to Home Fire

A former Camden County, New Jersey man has been indicted on charges including arson and insurance fraud relating to a fire that caused significant damage to a house in Cherry Hill in 2018.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin reported that Richard Orlandini, of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a state grand jury on charges of aggravated arson (2nd degree), insurance fraud (2nd degree), theft by deception (2nd degree), and attempted theft by deception (2nd degree). Orlandini is set to be arraigned on the charges in December in Superior Court in Camden County.

An investigation by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) found that on October 19, 2018, Orlandini started a fire at his residence on Chapel Avenue West in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with the purpose of destroying the home and collecting insurance proceeds for the damage.

According to the Cherry Hill Fire Department, firefighters arrived to find the two-story, single-family house “well involved” in flames. The fire was placed under control October 20. There were no reported injuries. The house was subsequently demolished.

The circumstances surrounding the fire recklessly placed others in danger of death or bodily injury. Further, Orlandini is alleged to have obtained $75,000 or more under a homeowner’s insurance policy from Allstate Insurance Co.

“Those who commit arson with flagrant disregard for life and property, risking the lives of others to try to get insurance proceeds, will be caught and prosecuted,” said insurance fraud prosecutor Al Garcia.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

Topics Fraud New Jersey