Prosecutor: Sandy Fraud Task Force Arrests Uninsured, Unregistered Contractor

By Elaine Piniat

The Monmouth County Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force arrested a Toms River man who allegedly worked as an unregistered and uninsured contractor in Monmouth Beach, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Shane Wood, 48, was arrested Thursday and charged with providing a fraudulent insurance certificate and working as an unregistered contractor after state authorities revoked his registration, Gramiccioni said in a press release.

Wood allegedly sub-contracted with a general contractor to perform roof repair work on a Monmouth Beach home in January, an investigation by the Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force found.

As the owner of Reliable Roofing and Siding, the general contractor required Wood to provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance as proof the company was covered for New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Gramiccioni said. Wood allegedly presented a document claiming Reliable Roofing and Siding was covered by the John Hill Insurance Company.

The general contractor later learned from the insurance company that Wood provided a fraudulent document, Gramiccioni said. The general contractor then contacted the Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force, which prompted the investigation.

"Superstorm Sandy was harsh on many residents in Monmouth County and across New Jersey, we cannot permit anyone to take advantage of people in such a vulnerable situation," Gramiccioni said in the release. "There are laws and rules in place to protect these vulnerable citizens and our Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force is taking on anyone who wants to challenge those laws and rules for doing business in Monmouth County."

Wood was registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs until his registration was terminated in February 2008, and a second registration was revoked in February 2011, according to a document provided by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The document states that Wood is identified as the owner of Reliable Roofing and Siding on the company’s website. The company’s address is listed in Toms River and asserts that it serves Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

After a possible injury sustained by a worker, the general contractor was notified that Wood allegedly used a false document, the document said. When the general contractor contacted Wood by cell phone, Wood used a tirade of profanities, the document states.

Wood was paid $2,000 for the roofing work that was never completed, according to the document.

He was charged with forgery, uttering a forged instrument, failure to register with the state Division of Consumer Affairs and failure to provide a written contract. He was released pending a future court date after he posted $10,000 bail.