NJ man admits filing false applications to get Sandy aid
A South Jersey man has admitted filing false applications for federal and state relief funds related to Superstorm Sandy.
State authorities said 63-year-old Gregory Wagner pleaded guilty Monday to theft by deception. The Toms River man will have to pay $218,209 in restitution and will receive a 364-day county jail term and probation when he’s sentenced Feb. 26.
Wagner falsely claimed that a storm-damaged property he owns in Bayville was his primary residence when Sandy hit. But he actually was living in Toms River and the Bayville address was a rental property.
Wagner received $31,900 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for rental assistance and personal property loss. He also got nearly $170,000 in grants from federal programs and $16,487 from two rental assistance programs funded by the state.
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