Contractor Who Admitted Fraud Sentenced to Five Years Probation

An announcement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office

A Staten Island man will receive five years probation after admitting in March he defrauded Rumson homeowners of deposit money intended to complete repairs to their home damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

Frank Lewery, 52, of the Tottenville section of Staten Island, was sentenced by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr. J.S.C. who made restitution in the amount of $30,740 a condition of the probationary sentence. In March, Lewery pleaded guilty to one count of third degree Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Property Received, and one count of fourth degree Failure to Register with the State Division of Consumer Affairs.

An investigation by the Monmouth County Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force revealed Lewery was never registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs as a Home Improvement Contractor and took checks given to him by the homeowners for repairs to their Rumson home and cashed those checks at check-cashing facilities on Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Homeowners or citizens are urged to report Superstorm Sandy-related complaints via the following:

• The Task Force webpage at www.SandyFraud.com
• Call the Task Force hotline at (855) SANDY 39.   

The case was assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Andrew S. Fried, of the Office’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau, who serves as coordinator of the Monmouth County Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force.