Plus, four others who are alleged to have filed fraudulent applications for relief funds offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
TRENTON -- A Hoboken police officer and four other N.J. residents were charged yesterday with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds for damage from Superstorm Sandy. Several of them claimed Sandy-damaged homes as their primary residences when they, in fact, resided primarily somewhere else,
Acting Attorney General Robert Lougy said.
Lougy said the five charged yesterday are among 62 who have been charged are alleged to have filed fraudulent applications for relief funds offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In several of the cases, they also applied for funds from a Sandy relief program funded by HUD, low-interest disaster loans from the SBA, or assistance provided by the state Department of Human Services, he said.
"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," Lougy said. "It's a sad truth that even in the direst of emergencies, when so many generous people step forward to lend a hand, there are others who will dishonestly exploit an offer of assistance."
The five, who were each charged by complaint-summons:
- Nikola Lulaj, 42, of Seaside Heights (formerly of Dumont) a Hoboken police officer, received approximately $187,074 in relief funds, Lougy said. Lulaj was suspended without pay after the charges, Hoboken police said. Lougy said Lulaj falsely claimed in his applications that a home he owns on Webster Avenue in Seaside Heights which was damaged was his primary residence at the time Sandy struck, when in fact, his resided primarily in Dumont. He is charged with second-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification. Coincidentally, according to The Jersey Journal, Lulaj received a service award after arresting looters who ransacked a Hoboken convenience store during the blackout and flooding caused in the city by Sandy.
- Rachel Bryant, 53, of Philadelphia fraudulently obtained $23,918, Lougy said. Bryant also falsely claimed in the applications that a property that she and her mother owned on McKinley Avenue in Atlantic City was her primary residence at the time Sandy hit, Lougy said. Bryant is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification.
- Gordon Sinclair, 40, of Summit fraudulently obtained $12,270, Lougy said. Sinclair falsely claimed in his applications that a property he owned on Moonrise Lane in Lavallette was his primary residence at the time Sandy hit, but he primarily lived in an apartment in Hoboken, Lougy said. He is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification.
- Pat G. Angelastro, 46, of Ortley Beach obtained $10,000 by filing a false application, Lougy said. He said Angelastro falsely claimed in the application that he owned a house on Fielder Avenue in Ortley Beach that was damaged, but while the home was Angelastro's primary residence, he did not own it - his parents did. He is charged with third-degree theft by deception.
- Catherine Alvira-Przybylski, 45, of Keyport fraudulently obtained $9,775 by submitting fraudulent documents indicating she had rental expenses after Superstorm Sandy that she never incurred, Lougy said. At the time the storm struck, Alvira-Przybylski lived in an apartment in Seaside Heights that was damaged, forcing her to relocate, he said. While she legitimately received some assistance from FEMA, she allegedly fraudulently received additional rental funds by submitting false receipts indicating she paid rent and security deposits at times when, in fact, her housing expenses were paid with government or charitable relief funds, or were not paid at all, Lougy said. Alvira-Przybylski allegedly submitted false receipts totaling $2,550 for her a supposed security deposit and a month's rent for an apartment in Keyport, but at that time FEMA was already paying for her to stay in a hotel. Another time, she said she paid a security deposit and three months' rent for another apartment, when those expenses were, in fact, paid by the American Red Cross, or another charitable organization, or, for one month, not paid at all, he said. She also allegedly submitted fake receipts to show she paid four months' rent for her son to live with a family friend so he could remain in the school he had been attending, when the son was in fact living with his father, her former husband, Lougy said. Alvira-Przybylski is charged with third-degree theft by deception and fourth-degree unsworn falsification.
"Sandy recovery remains central to DCA's mission, and a key part of that mission is helping our law enforcement partners root out people who are trying to game the system at the expense of storm victims who legitimately qualify for help," said DCA Commissioner Charles A. Richman. "Because defrauders and scammers impede the State's recovery efforts and pilfer taxpayer dollars, my Department doesn't hesitate to report suspicious applications when we see them."
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of $10,000.
Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.