N.Y. Officials Announce Arrest in 9/11 Auto Fraud Case

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and New York State Insurance Superintendent Gregory Serio announced the arrest of Peter Perouza, 32, who is charged with insurance fraud and grand larceny stemming from a fraudulent claim he reportedly submitted stating that his vehicle was destroyed in the World Trade Center attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Perouza, who lived in Brooklyn, fraudulently submitted a claim to Met Life Home & Auto Insurance Company that stated his leased vehicle was destroyed in the garage of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Met Life Home & Auto paid the leasing company $28,000 on this claim.

Subsequently, Perouza reportedly parked the vehicle in a garage and discontinued payments for parking. The garage filed a lien for storage payments. It was then discovered that the car was owned by Met Life Home & Auto.