Contractor From Barnegat Admits To Scamming Sandy Victims: OCPO

BARNEGAT, NJ — A contractor from Barnegat pleaded guilty Monday to scamming customers who paid him for Superstorm Sandy repairs, officials said.

George LaRosa pleaded guilty to one count of theft by failure to make required disposition, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said. LaRosa must pay $456,650 to his victims. He is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 24. The State recommends three years in prison.

LaRosa, 50, entered contracts with homeowners throughout Manahawkin, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom, Little Egg Harbor, Lacey and Toms River. LaRosa didn't make the repairs and instead took the money for personal use, the OCPO said. He closed his business and left homeowners in various stages of disrepair, authorities said.

The state Office of Attorney General initially charged LaRosa in 2016 with cheating six homeowners out of $280,750 in Superstorm Sandy relief funds. He was hired to elevate and renovate their homes.

LaRosa and his company, GL Construction Limited Liability Company ("GL Construction"), took initial payments from consumers for home improvements and elevations and then failed to begin work, performed work in a substandard manner, and/or abandoned unfinished projects without returning for weeks, months, or at all, according to the OAG. Read more: Manahawkin Contractor Charged With Sandy Fraud, Bilked Homeowners Out Of $280,750

Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Follow Barnegat-Manahawkin Patch on Facebook. Have a news tip? Email josh.bakan@patch.com.