Tenafly Man And Wife Who Claimed Manahawkin House Was Their Primary Home Charged With Sandy Fraud

TRENTON - A Tenafly man and his wife have been charged with theft by deception and unsworn falsification for claiming that a Lynn Ann Lane home in Manahawkin was their primary home during Superstorm Sandy when it was not, the state Attorney General's Office said.

The couple filed fraudulent applications after the Oct. 29, 2012 storm and received a total of $162,270 in funds they were not eligible for, according to the AG's office.

The funds included a $150,000 Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) grant,$ a $10,000 Resettlement grant, and $2,270 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Attorney General's Office said.

The Manahawkin home, which was owned by Benzoni, was a seasonal/weekend home when Sandy hit. Only owners of primary homes were allowed to file for the grant money.

Photo: Patricia A. Miller