Community Development Block Grant Disaster Assistance Funds, Empire State Development Corporation, New York, New York
September 30, 2003
Report
#2003-NY-1005
Empire State Development Corporation – CDBG Disaster Assistance Funds
March 24, 2003
Report
#2003-NY-1003
Interim Report on Community Development Block Grant Disaster Assistance Funds, New York, New York
May 22, 2002
Memorandum
#2002-NY-1802
CDBG Disaster Recovery: States, Cities, and Denials of Funding – Deputy IG Begg Testifies
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Stephen Begg, Deputy Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Transcript
Hearing
July 15, 2021
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Program
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, House of Representatives Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD). Jeremy Kirkland, Counsel to the Inspector General was a witness.
Click here to watch.
Hearing
October 17, 2019
Contractors Charged, Failed To Complete Home Repairs
(Source: jerseyshoreonline.com)
MANAHAWKIN – An investigation arrested and charged two Manahawkin contractors for failing to perform contracted work on homes damaged by Superstorm Sandy, announced Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The couple, 44-year old Adam Nevius and 50-year old Kimberly Atkinson, was arrested and charged with Failure to Make Required Disposition. Atkinson was also charged with one count of Theft by Deception, for her…
Article
April 02, 2019
The Administration of Disaster Recovery Funds in the Wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
The Administration of Disaster Recovery Funds in the Wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, House Financial Services Committee, subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Jeremy Kirkland, Counsel to the Inspector General was a witness.
Click here to watch.
Hearing
March 26, 2019
Police Officer & Wife From Ocean County Convicted Of Sandy Fraud
(Source: jerseyshoreonline.com) OCEAN COUNTY – Yet another two have been convicted for fraud for filing false applications for relief following Superstorm Sandy, announced Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.
Nikola Lulaj, 45, of Seaside Heights and his wife, Majlinda Lulaj, 32, have been found guilty of filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds in the amount of $187,000. Nikola is an officer with the Hoboken Police Department.
The…
Press release
October 26, 2018
Sandy Fraud Prosecutions Continue
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced the arrest of Robert William Brower, Jr., 45, of Seaside Heights, NJ, after an eighteen month joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Division of Criminal Justice Financial and Computer Crimes Bureau. As a result of this collaborative effort,…
Press release
August 01, 2018
Staten Island Resident Pleads Guilty to Disaster Relief Fraud
Earlier today, Nagwa Elsilimy pleaded guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to disaster relief fraud in connection with obtaining more than $750,000 in disaster relief from New York City’s Build It Back program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Today’s proceeding took place before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the…
Press release
July 25, 2018
Indictment Charges Man with Soliciting Bribes and Fictitious Fees from Victims of Superstorm Sandy While Employed at Housing Recovery Center
TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a man who worked at a state-operated housing recovery center in Newark after Superstorm Sandy has been indicted on charges that he demanded thousands of dollars in bribes and fictitious fees from storm victims, fraudulently representing to the victims that he could expedite and/or increase the federal relief funds they received.
The Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer…
Press release
July 22, 2018
Mayor Of The Municipality Of Sabana Grande Indicted For Conversion Of Federal Funds, Fraud, And Money Laundering
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Miguel G. Ortiz-Vélez, a.k.a. “Papín”, mayor of the municipality of Sabana Grande has been indicted and arrested for his participation in a conspiracy to steal federal funds involving fraudulently obtained contracts from the PR Department of Education (PR DOE), announced U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico. In a separate unrelated indictment, Victor Cruz-Quintero, former Director of…
Press release
July 11, 2018
Attorney General’s Office Charges Four More Individuals With Filing False Applications for Superstorm Sandy Relief Funds
TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced that the Attorney General’s Office and its state and federal partners have charged four new defendants with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds related to Superstorm Sandy, bringing the total number of defendants charged by the office in these cases to 116 since March 2014.
“Any fraud against public assistance programs is deplorable, but these thefts were especially…
Press release
June 28, 2018
Former Federal Employee in Albany Charged with Defrauding the Department of Housing and Urban Development
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Timothy J. Oravec, age 59, of Poughkeepsie, New York, was arrested today on charges that he defrauded the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and some of its employees by falsely claiming to have cancer, and obtaining and using leave time donated to him by his colleagues.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge for HUD’s…
Article
April 16, 2018
Attorney General’s Office Charges Five More Individuals with Filing False Applications for Superstorm Sandy Relief Funds
TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced that the Attorney General’s Office and its state and federal partners have charged five new defendants with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds related to Superstorm Sandy, bringing the total number of defendants charged by the office in these cases to 109 since March 2014.
“Any fraud against public assistance programs is deplorable, but these thefts were especially…
Press release
February 25, 2018
4 more charged with Sandy fraud
(Source: whyy.org) New Jersey authorities charged criminally this week four more people with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds related to Superstorm Sandy, state law enforcement officials announced.
State authorities have charged 104 people for allegedly engaging in this type of fraud since March 2014.
“It’s despicable that over 100 people saw fit to resort to fraud in the face of a historic disaster, allegedly stealing…
Article
December 10, 2017
Owners of New Suffolk waterfront home charged with fraud in connection with Hurricane Sandy disaster relief benefits
(Source: southoldlocal.com) The owners of a waterfront home in New Suffolk have been arrested by federal authorities on charges of making false and fraudulent statements in applications for federal assistance following Hurricane Sandy.
William Grella and Gary Osborne, owners of the home at 1200 First Street in New Suffolk, falsely stated on applications for federal disaster relief assistance that the New Suffolk home was their primary residence…
Article
December 06, 2017
Reforming the Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery Program
Testimony Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Hearing
October 31, 2017
Staten Island Couple Charged With Hurricane Sandy Relief Fraud
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Nagwa Elsilimy and Ahmed Arafa with fraud by making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in connection with their obtaining more than $750,000 in disaster relief from New York City’s Build It Back program (BIB) and FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The…
Press release
September 13, 2017
Five More Individuals Charged With Filing False Applications for Superstorm Sandy Relief Funds
TRENTON –Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that five additional individuals were charged criminally today with filing fraudulent applications for federal relief funds related to Superstorm Sandy. Since March 2014, the Attorney General’s Office has filed criminal charges against 91 people for allegedly engaging in this type of fraud, including the five individuals charged today.
The Attorney General’s Office is continuing its…
Press release
May 29, 2017