Official Statement from U.S. Attorney on Local Landlord’s Arson, Fraud Conviction
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013
CONTACT: KAYE HOOKER
PHONE: (616) 456-2404
WWW.JUSTICE.GOV/USAO/MIW
FAX: (616) 456-2517
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[Download Full Press Release Here]
MUSKEGON-AREA LANDLORD CONVICTED BY JURY OF ARSON, INSURANCE FRAUD, AND TAX FRAUD
Gerald Singer “arson for profit scheme” lasted almost twenty years
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — A federal jury convicted Muskegon-area landlord Gerald Singer, 73, of two counts of Arson, three counts of Use of Fire to Commit Mail Fraud (Insurance Fraud), one count of Mail Fraud, four counts of Filing a False Tax-Related Document, and one count of Obstructing Tax Administration after a four-week trial. Singer was acquitted of three other counts of Use of Fire to Commit Mail Fraud. Gerald Singer was immediately taken into custody by the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing on August 21, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office and its federal and local law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding our communities and removing individuals who intentionally destroy property, harm neighborhoods, and prey on the vulnerable, especially when their motivation is profit. Arson under any circumstance is a serious crime that endangers the lives of residents and first-responders who risk their lives searching for victims and suppressing the fire. It also costs neighbors with higher insurance premiums. Gerald Singer caused much damage and now justice caught up with him.”