A New York State resident was officially sentenced earlier this week after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud for setting his dairy barn on fire in April 2003.

According to a release from the New York State Insurance Department (NYSID), Peter Mravlja called 911 to report a fire in the dairy barn owned jointly by himself and his father. Six local fire departments and 53 volunteer firemen responded and battled the barn fire for almost seven hours. The release also stated that during the course of the fire, one fireman was physically injured and 23 beef calves perished.

NYSID stated that the fire's origins were listed as "undetermined" because an electrical malfunction could not be ruled out as a potential cause. So Mravlja's insurer, Otsego County Patrons Co-Operative Fire Relief Association of Schenevus, paid a total of $143,555.81 to compensate for the loss. However, the company later was given a confidential tip that the fire may not have been an accident and asked the New York State Insurance Department's Frauds Bureau to revisit the case.

Besides a $50,000 fine, Mravlja received a five-year felony probation term and will have to complete 1,000 hours of community service at the five firehouses that responded to the blaze.

Interested in more fraud news and in-depth articles? Head over to Claims' fraud channel for more information.

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