62 now charged with Superstorm Sandy-related fraud
Updated 56 mins ago
TRENTON, N.J. (WABC) -- A total of 62 people have been charged by the New Jersey Attorney General's office for fraud related to Superstorm Sandy since 2014.
The number went up by five last week when charges were announced against four New Jersey residents and one Philadelphia woman.
Nikola Lulaj, 42, of Seaside Heights, N.J., Rachel Bryant, 53, of Philadelphia, and Gordon Sinclair, 40, of Summit, N.J. are accused of submitting claims for homes that were not primary places of residence.
Pat G. Angelastro, 46, of Ortley Beach, N.J., is accused of submitting a claim for a primary residence he did not own.
Catherine Alvira-Przybylski, 45, of Keyport, N.J., is accused of obtaining financial for expenses she never incurred.
"Each of these defendants knew the requirements to qualify for this disaster aid, but each selfishly lied about their circumstances to steal funding intended for those hardest hit by Sandy, namely homeowners who were left homeless and displaced renters forced to pay for new leases," said Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy in a statement.
The Attorney General's Office says it investigates Sandy fraud in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the Offices of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).