Brick Man Among 5 More Charged With Sandy Fraud

TRENTON, NJ — A Brick Township man is among five people who have been charged with filing fraudulent applications and receiving thousands of dollars of federal funds they were not entitled to receive to repair homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy, according to the state attorney general's office.

Frank Russo, 83, of Brick, is accused of receiving $190,813 in federal funds for repairs to a home he owns on Bayview Drive in Toms River after applying for FEMA assistance and state grants under the Homeowner Resettlement Program (RSP) and the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program, authorities said.

Russo is accused of falsely claiming the Toms River home was his primary residence when Sandy struck, but authorities allege his primary home at the time of the storm was in Brick and the Toms River home was unoccupied, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said in a news release.

Russo received $30,813 from FEMA, a $10,000 RSP grant, and RREM grant funds totaling $150,000 as a result, and is charged with second-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification, Porrino's office said.

Russo and four others were charged May 24 and bring the total to 91 people who have been charged with Sandy-related fraud since March 2014, Porrino said.

“We charge that these defendants stole from disaster relief programs and by extension from the victims who were hardest hit by the storm,” Porrino said. "We’ll continue to charge every cheat we identify who diverted funds from these recovery programs and from victims in need.”

Also charged were:

Jennifer Altman, 43, of Hoboken, accused of fraudulently receiving $183,220 in FEMA assistance and Homeowner RSP, RREM and and the Sandy Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program. Altman is accused of claimin a home she owns on Maria Drive in Toms River was her primary residence when Sandy struck, but authorities allege her primary residence at the time of the storm was in Hoboken. Altman received approximately $12,132 from FEMA, a $10,000 RSP grant, RREM grant funds totaling $150,000, and approximately $11,088 in SHRAP funds, authorities said. She is charged with second-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification, Porrino's office said.

Patrick Yannotta, 28, of Hoboken, accused of fraudulently receiving $182,400 in FEMA assistance and state grants under the RSP and RREM programs. Yannotta is accused of claiming a home he co-owns with a relative on Coolidge Avenue in Seaside Heights was his primary residence when Sandy struck, but authorities allege it was not his primary residence but he allegedly was leasing it out to others as an income-producing rental property. Yannotta received $22,400 from FEMA, a $10,000 RSP grant, and RREM grant funds totaling $150,000. He is charged with second-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification, Porrino's office said.

Jennifer Casey, 33, of Upper Saddle River, accused of receiving $174,912 in FEMA assistance and state grants under the the RSP and RREM programs. Casey is accused of claiming a home she owns on Cove Point Road in Toms River was her primary residence, but authorities allege her primary residence at the time of the storm was in Upper Saddle River, and the Toms River home was unoccupied. Casey received $2,900 from FEMA, a $10,000 RSP grant, and RREM grant funds totaling $162,012. She is charged with second-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification, Porrino's office said.

Carlos Paul Terzian, 54, of Manahawkin, is accused of receiving $30,021 in FEMA assistance and a state RSP grant. He is accused of claiming a home he owns on Joshua Drive in Manahawkin was his primary residence when Sandy hit, but authorities allege the storm-damaged property was a secondary home that was unoccupied and his primary residence was another home in Manahawkin. Terzian received $20,021 in FEMA grants and a $10,000 RSP grant. Terzian is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification, Porrino's office said.

“Stealing any type of public aid is reprehensible, but it’s especially egregious to steal relief funds in the context of a historic disaster, when every dollar is needed for recovery,” said Elie Honig, director of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We’ll continue to pursue these prosecutions with our state and federal partners, so we can guard these funds and deter this type of criminal conduct in future emergencies.”

Photos via N.J. Attorney General's Office