Former Langhorne Man Charged With Superstorm Sandy Fraud

A former Langhorne man has been charged with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds after his New Jersey home was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Wednesday.

Brian J. Kotowich, 57, is charged with second-degree theft by deception after falsely stating the Beach Haven property was his primary residence, Grewal said.

Kotowich filed fraudulent applications for FEMA assistance and state grants, receiving approximately $187,881 in relief funds to which he was not entitled, the Attorney General's office said. In fact, his primary residence at the time of the storm was in Langhorne, authorities said.

Kotowich has since moved to the house in Beach Haven, but at the time of the storm it was "largely unoccupied," New Jersey authorities said.

Since March 2014, 116 people have been charged with fraud in connection with Superstorm Sandy relief funds, according to Grewal.

Image via NJ Attorney General's Office