Sea Bright Sandy Victim Charged with Defrauding FEMA

A Hurricane Sandy victim from Sea Bright now faces up to five years in prison after being arrested and charged Wednesday with defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of more than $12,000 in Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) grant money, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

William Nagle, 51, who rented an apartment at 4 Center St., Sea Bright, allegedly bilked FEMA’s Transitional Shelter Assistance program of $12,114.25 in the form of 68 nights worth of lodging at various hotels between Jan. 14 and March 23, 2013.

Before Nagle allegedly accepted the assistance and started living in the temporary housing, his apartment had already been cleared to reside in by Sea Bright zoning officials on Dec. 29, 2012, two months after Sandy, a release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office said.

Nagle had lived in the Center Street apartment since 2009, the investigation noted.

“Being a victim does not open the door to defraud the government in times of need," Gramiccioni said in the release. "... that combined effort to aid and assist comes with the understanding that no one will take advantage of the situation."

Based on evidence gleaned from an investigation by the Monmouth County Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force, Nagle was charged with third-degree theft by deception. 

He is being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in lieu of $5,000 bail, set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Patricia Del Bueno Cleary, with no 10 percent option.

If convicted, Nagle faces up to five years in prison, according to authorities. 

Nagle’s Sea Bright apartment building, which houses apartments on each of three floors, was damaged by Sandy flooding, causing electricity, heat and hot water for the building to render his third-floor unit uninhabitable. However, it was again deemed habitable before he accepted the temporary housing assistance from the TSA. 

As of May 20, FEMA provided New Jersey residents with $341.3 million for housing assistance in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the release said.

To date, Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force has investigated approximately 112 complaints concerning alleged consumer-related wrongdoings. Of those 112, 20 involved criminal or potentially criminal actions, it added. 

Homeowners or citizens can report complaints at www.SandyFraud.com or call the Task Force hotline at (855) SANDY 39.