A Camden County man was sentenced to three years in prison for making false statements to his insurance company to obtain benefits after his home burned down.
Richard Orlandini, 65, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud last December. The events that led to his case stretch back to Oct. 20, 2018, when his Cherry Hill house was destroyed in a fire. Orlandini had taken out an insurance policy on the two-story property through Allstate, and hired a public adjuster to help him with his claim, prosecutors said. Through the adjuster, Orlandini reported that neither he nor his wife knew what started the fire and that it had sparked in a back room.
Neither of those claims were true, investigators said.
Orlandini further requested living expenses based on a rental agreement that was not in effect and submitted personal property claims for items that did not perish in the fire and that he did not own — including china, crystal, designer handbags, Lego sets, ties, belts and a bicycle. All told, prosecutors said, he made five false or misleading statements to Allstate.
"Homeowners pay a substantial amount of money for insurance to protect what is often their biggest investment," New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. "The system depends on everyone being an honest broker and when someone cheats the system by filing a claim for benefits to...
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