Credit: New Jersey Attorney General’s Office
A Langhorne resident has been charged by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office with filing fraudulent applications asking for public aid following Hurricane Sandy.
Brian J. Kotowich, 57, who now resides in Beach Haven, Ocean County, had a charge of second-degree theft by deception filed against him.
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Kotowich allegedly filed fraudulent applications for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds and New Jersey grants after he claimed the home he owns in Beach Haven, which is on Long Beach Island, was his primary residence when the storm struck in 2012.
“It is alleged that, in fact, his primary residence at the time of the storm was in Langhorne. Kotowich has since moved to the house in Beach Haven, but at the time of the storm, it allegedly was an investment property that was largely unoccupied,” a statement from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said.
Law enforcement alleged that Kotowich received $27,033 from FEMA and a total of $160,848 in New Jersey grants.
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Kotowich was among four New Jersey residents charged in Hurricane Sandy-related fraud cases.
“In order to repair vacation or investment properties, these defendants allegedly stole funds that were strictly intended for victims who needed to rebuild or restore their primary homes,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “While many generously helped others after the storm, these property owners allegedly helped themselves.”
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said his office has recovered more than $2 million from storm-related fraud cases.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
