Montville Man Charged With Superstorm Sandy Fraud: NJ AG

MONTVILLE, NJ — A Montville man is accused of receiving over $180,000 in Superstorm Sandy relief aid that he was not eligible for, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said on Wednesday.

Charles Licastro, 64, of the Pine Brook section of town, is charged with second degree theft by deception for allegedly claiming his full-time residence at the time of the storm was in Point Pleasant, when it was actually in Montville. He received $23,870 from FEMA, $150,000 in RREM grant funds, and a $10,000 RSP grant that he was not eligible for because of the misrepresentation of his residence, Grewal said.

So far, 116 people have been charged with filing false aid applications in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, totaling $7 million in relief funds. In most cases, those charged are accused of lying about where their primary residence was in order to access relief funds, which are only for those living full time in damaged homes.

“Any fraud against public assistance programs is deplorable, but these thefts were especially egregious because they diverted funds intended for victims left homeless by one of the most devastating storms in New Jersey history,” said Grewal. “We have recovered over $2.2 million through these prosecutions and we also have sent a strong message that should deter this type of fraud during future disaster relief efforts.”

“In order to repair vacation or investment properties, these defendants allegedly stole funds that were strictly intended for victims who needed to rebuild or restore their primary homes,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “While many generously helped others after the storm, these property owners allegedly helped themselves.”

Image via Shutterstock, NJAG