Man Defrauded Rumson Sandy Victims of Nearly $37K, Prosecutor Says

A grand jury indicted a Staten Island man Monday on charges he defrauded a Rumson couple of nearly $37,000, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced in a press release. The money was a deposit intended for Frank Lewery, 51, to complete repairs on the Rumson home for damage sustained during Superstorm Sandy, according to the release.

Lewery, of the Tottenville section of Staten Island, was indicted on theft, attempted theft, forgery and failure to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs.

The investigation revealed Lewery was never registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs as a home improvement contractor, cashed the checks at check-cashing facilities on Staten Island and Brooklyn, failed to place orders for the materials needed for the project, forged a check, and also asked a kitchen designer to lie about a non-existent order, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Lewery is free on $75,000 bail.