Area Man Indicted For LBI Superstorm Sandy Theft

TOMS RIVER - An Ocean County grand jury recently indicted a Toms River contractor for theft after he did very little work to repair a Ship Bottom ravaged by Superstorm Sandy, according to app.com

Robert J. Rieche, 71, was paid $131,000 to gut and renovate the home. But he diverted more than $75,000 of the money for his own use, including some of it for a down payment on a home in his wife's name, and to write checks to his wife and daughter, assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Martin Anton said.

Homeowner Greta S. Purgavie died in 2009, before Sandy. Her son, Charles Purgavie Jr. - executor of her estate - paid Rieche $131,000 to renovate the home so his sister could live in it, he said.

But Rieche did little work on the home, other than removing insulation, copper pipes, the front and back steps, scraped for mold, did some electrical work, painting and installation of drywall and trim, Anton said.

“Purgavie lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, so he didn’t really see the progress of the work,’’ Anton said.

Rieche could face between five and 10 years in prison if convicted. He will be arraigned in the next few weeks.

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