Woman Claiming To Work For Paramus Company Allegedly Stole $29K From Widow

PARAMUS, N.J. – A woman pretending to work for a Paramus construction company was charged with stealing nearly $29,000 from a South Jersey widow who hired her to make repairs caused by Superstorm Sandy, Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy announced Thursday.

Dorian Leigh Dammer, 56, was indicted on third-degree charges of theft by deception and impersonation for pretending to be a representative of Vanguard Construction Company and accepted money for roof repairs that were never made.

“If these allegations are true, Dorian Dammer used deception to callously steal from someone already suffering from Superstorm Sandy,” stated Lougy in a release. “Instead of helping this homeowner rebuild after this devastating storm, as promised, Ms. Dammer allegedly pocketed the money without seeing to it that the roof was repaired.”

The homeowner hired Dammer in October 2013 to repair the roof on her house, which was damaged when a tree fell on it during Superstorm Sandy.

An acquaintance gave the homeowner the name “Dorian Grey,” a woman who purportedly represented Vanguard Construction. In reality, “Dorian Grey” was Dorian Dammer, a former employee of Vanguard Construction who had been fired a month earlier for stealing from the company, prosecutors said.

In reality, “Dorian Grey” was Dorian Dammer, a former employee of Vanguard Construction who had been fired a month earlier for stealing from the company, prosecutors said.

Dammer assessed the damage with the homeowner and quoted a price of $35,422 for Vanguard to do the repair, prosecutors said. Dammer allegedly told the homeowner that she was a medical doctor who worked with Vanguard Construction as a side business. Dammer allegedly told the homeowner to make out checks for the repair work to “Dr. Dorian Leigh.”

Dammer cashed three checks from the homeowner totaling $28,770, but never had the repairs done, prosecutors said.

Dammer made excuses when the homeowner complained about the work not being done, blaming bad weather and sick family members for the delays. Dammer also told the homeowner that the repair job would cost more money than originally quoted and instructed the woman to go back to her insurance company for more money, prosecutors said.

The homeowner filed a claim with Franklin Mutual Insurance Co. who sent an investigator to look into the situation, authorities said. When the homeowner tried to contact Dammer, she allegedly “dodged the calls,” authorities said. The repairs were never made prosecutors said.

(Photo provided: Dorian Leigh Dammer)