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Superstorm Sandy Contractors Sentenced To NJ Prison For Theft: Prosecutor
Two contractors have been sentenced to New Jersey state prison for defrauding homeowners for repairs after Superstorm Sandy on the Jersey Shore, authorities said.
John Bishop, 57, of Celebration, Florida, was sentenced on Friday, July 15 to four years in state prison for theft by failure to make required disposition, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Bishop worked 11 years as a Harrison police officer in Hudson County, before retiring in 2006, according to NJ Advance Media.
Paul Rueda, 50, of San Diego, Texas, was sentenced to five years in state prison on the…
Support Builds For Family Of Long Beach Fireman Who Died In Crash With Tree
Tens of thousands of dollars have poured in to support the family of a firefighter from Long Island who died when a tree fell on an SUV he was traveling in.
Casey Skudin, age 45, of Long Beach, died on Friday, June 17, when a tree fell on the vehicle he was driving in Asheville, North Carolina, according to a GoFundMe set up for his family.
Earlier report - Highly-Decorated FDNY Member From Long Beach Dies After Tree Falls On SUV
Skudin, his wife, Angela, and his sons, 19-year-old Ben and 10-year-old CJ, were on vacation to celebrate Skudin's birthday and Father's Day, according …
Highly-Decorated Fdny Member From Long Beach Dies After Tree Falls On SUV
A highly-decorated firefighter from Long Island was killed in a crash involving a fallen tree, according to multiple reports.
The incident happened late Friday afternoon, June 17 in Asheville, North Carolina when the tree fell on the SUV Casey Skudin, age 45, of Ladder 137 in the Rockaways was in, according to FireFighterCloseCalls.com.
The crash occurred on the Biltmore Estate, a popular tourist attraction, when the tree fell across a road at the entrance to the estate, according to Fox Carolina.
Skudin, a Long Beach resident who served in the FDNY, was honored for rescuing Rock…
Get Set For An Active Hurricane Season, NOAA Says: Here's What To Expect
An active hurricane season is being predicted for 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.
The hurricane seasons runs from Wednesday, June 1 to Wednesday, Nov. 30.
“As we reflect on another potentially busy hurricane season, past storms — such as Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the New York metro area ten years ago — remind us that the impact of one storm can be felt for years,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Since Sandy, NOAA’s forecasting accuracy has continued to improve, allowing us to better predict the impacts of major hurricanes to lives a…
Superstorm Sandy Contractors Admit Ripping Off Homeowners: Prosecutor
A pair of out-of-state contractors has admitted to stealing from customers whose homes were damaged by Superstorm Sandy, authorities said.
On Friday, May 6,, John Bishop, 57, of Celebration, Florida, pleaded guilty to theft by failure to make required disposition, they said.
On Monday, May 9, Bishop’s business partner, Paul Rueda, 50, of San Diego, Texas, pleaded guilty to the same charge, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Both defendants’ guilty pleas relate to their stealing funds through contractor businesses they operated between October 201…
More Than 300K NJ Electric Customers Still Don't Have Power
Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents were still without electricity Friday -- three days after Tropical Storm Isaias pummeled the region.
As of Friday morning, about 221,001 of JCP&L’s 1,131,720 customers were without power, followed by about 86,431 out of 2,326,730 PSE&G customers and 2,757 out of 545,450 Atlantic City Electric customers.
Crews were prioritizing the areas that were hit hardest by the storm, which include Morris, Monmouth and Ocean Counties, JCP&L said.
Nearly 85 percent of customers with both JCP&L and PSE&G were expected to have power restore…
Isaias New Power Outage Update: These Fairfield County Communities Are Most Affected
More than 40 percent of Eversource’s 1,281,259 Connecticut customers remain in the dark days after Tropical Storm Isaias swiftly swept through the East Coast.
Two days after the storm tore through the region, bringing down trees and power lines, 533,439 in Connecticut remain without power as of midday Thursday, Aug. 6 as Eversource crews work around the clock to make repairs.
In Fairfield County, outages were still being reported in:
Danbury: 15,566;
Norwalk: 12,497;
Westport: 12,258;
Greenwich: 8,732;
Ridgefield: 7,830;
Newtown: 7,358;
Stamford: 6,823;
Monroe: 6,650;
New Canaan: 5,965;
B…
Isaias New Power Outage Update: These Rockland, Orange County Communities Are Most Affected
Thousands have had power restored, but thousands more remain in the dark days after Tropical Storm Isaias wreaked havoc in the region.
Orange & Rockland Utilities is reporting 27,794 of its 117, 244 Rockland County customers are still experiencing outages on Thursday, Aug. 6, while 17,966 of its 104,130 Orange County customers remain without power.
In Orange County, 14,350 Central Hudson customers and 33 NYSEG customers are also reporting outages.
Clarkstown (9,733 outages) has the most outages in Rockland County, with more than a thousand still being reported in Orangetown (3,342), We…
Isaias New Power Outage Update: These Litchfield County Communities Are Most Affected
More than 50,000 Litchfield residents are still in the dark two days after Tropical Storm Isaias ripped through the region, toppling trees, felling utility poles, and sending power lines flying.
Hundreds of Eversource line, tree, and service crews worked through the night after Tropical Storm Isaias and minor tornadoes tore through Connecticut causing widespread and historic damage to the company’s electric system, according to the company.
In Litchfield County, as of 10:40 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, there were still 50,705 Eversource customers without power.
A breakdown of active power out…
Isaias: Some Rockland Residents May Be Without Power A Week, Day Says, Comparing Storm To Sandy
Tropical Storm Isaias knocked out power to nearly half of Rockland County residents, some of whom may be without power for around a week in a weather event that's been compared to Superstorm Sandy.
More than 100,000 of Orange & Rockland Utilities’ 301,917 customers were still in the dark as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, as crews worked to repair 2,785 reported active outages.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said that the tropical storm took an unexpected turn, with it bringing damaging winds approaching 80 mph, not the heavy rain that had previously been forecast.
Related story - I…
Morris Couple Admit $152,820 Superstorm Sandy Scam
A Morris County couple admitted pocketing $152,820 in taxpayer-funded Superstorm Sandy relief by claiming their damaged Jersey Shore home as their primary residence, state authorities charged.
The home that Carmine Fusco and Lauri Fusco, 50, own on West End Drive in Point Pleasant that was damaged by the historic storm is actually a summer/weekend property, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Wednesday.
Their primary residence at the time of the storm was, and continues to be, in East Hanover, he said.
By lying on applications, the Fuscos received $2,280 from FEMA and $150,000 in …
Dumont Man (Hoboken Police Officer), Wife Charged With $187G In Superstorm Sandy Scam
A 45-year-old Dumont man was forced to forfeit his position as a Hoboken police officer after he and his wife were found guilty of collecting $187,000 by lying on superstorm Sandy relief applications, authorities charged.
Nikola Lulaj and Majlinda Lulaj, 32, falsely claimed in their applications that their home in Seaside Heights -- which was damaged by Superstorm Sandy -- was their primary residence at the time the disaster struck, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
Their primary residence, however, was in Dumont, and the Seaside Heights home was a rental property, the atto…
Lodi Postman Charged With $37,822 Superstorm Sandy Scam
A U.S. Navy veteran from Lodi who works as a postal carrier pocketed $37,822 in taxpayer-funded Superstorm Sandy relief by claiming his damaged Jersey Shore home as his primary residence, state authorities charged.
The home that 51-year-old Peter Raia Jr. owns on Lincoln Avenue in Seaside Heights that was damaged by the historic storm is actually a summer/weekend property, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
By lying on applications, Raia received $5,640 from FEMA, a $10,000 RSP grant, $14,000 in SBA loan proceeds, and $8,182 in SHRAP funds, Grewal said.
Authorities charged him w…
Ex-Fair Lawn Teacher, 74, Charged With $177,439 Superstorm Sandy Scam
Lodi, N.J. -- A 74-year-old retired Fair Lawn teacher collected $177,439 in taxpayer-funded Superstorm Sandy relief by claiming her damaged Jersey Shore home as her primary residence, state authorities charged.
The home that Diane DiCosmo owns on Melody Lane in Lavallette that was damaged by the historic storm is actually a summer/weekend property, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
Her real home was in Fair Lawn when DiCosmo received approximately $6,515 from FEMA, $160,924 in RREM grant funds, and a $10,000 RSP grant by lying on relief applications, Grewal said.
DiCosmo, who …
Pace Students Spend Spring Break Helping Storm Victims
Instead of partying and plenty of fun, 16 Pace University students spent their Spring Break helping residents still struggling to rebuild following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy more than five years ago.
Pace University’s Center for Community Action and Research (CCAR) organized the students who spent hours installing insulation, hanging drywall, sanding, sealing and painting rooms in homes in Marine Park, Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach, Queens.
The immersive learning experience included guest lectures about how race, class, disaster relief policy, cultural attitudes, and political atti…
Lodi Homeowner Charged With $125,159 Superstorm Sandy Scam
Lodi, N.J. -- A Lodi homeowner collected nearly $125,159 in taxpayer-funded Superstorm Sandy relief by claiming her damaged Jersey Shore home as her primary residence, state authorities charged.
The home that Appolonia DiPiazza, 53, owns on East Mohawk Avenue in Little Egg Harbor that was damaged by the historic storm is actually a summer/weekend property, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
By lying on applications, DiPiazza received $2,270 from FEMA, $112,889 in RREM grant funds, and a $10,000 RSP grant, Grewal said.
Authorities charged her with theft by deception and released…
