Man Uses Mother's Ocean City Property To Defraud FEMA

CAMDEN, NJ - A man pleaded guilty for charges that he made false claims to FEMA after Hurricane Sandy, according to the New Jersey Attorney General. Nicholas Ochs, 54, used his mother's address in Ocean City issues she had from Hurricane Sandy to submit false claims to FEMA to receive over $180,000 in disaster benefits and insurance claims.

Ochs filed FEMA relief papers on behalf of his mother, who was living in Ocean City at the time. Ochs' claim was that the storm had caused her property to be uninhabitable, and it had displaced her from another home she was renting in order to get home repair funds and rental assistance, according to the New Jersey Attorney General. Ochs didn't reveal that the rental property was owned by his family and his mother was paying no rent, but he created fake rental receipts and lease agreements to show to FEMA.

Ochs' claim for home repair and rental assistance initially denied, as the owned property was covered by insurance, but showed paperwork that the insurance had denied the claim and was given the funds, according the the New Jersey Attorney General. Ochs additionally claimed that his mother's vehicle was damaged in the storm, and submitted false paperwork to receive transportation assistance funds.

From February 2013 to December 2o13, Ochs received $17,229 in rental assistance and $4,345 in home repair assistance, according the documents and statements made in the case. All the money was wired directly to Ochs' account, which he used on himself.

Ochs' mother also had her home covered by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, which covers flood insurance providers during claims. Wells Fargo, who held the mortgage on the home received the checks from insurance, after Ochs submitted a claim to the insurance company.

Ochs presented inflated building and repair costs in order to get the money from Wells Fargo, and was subsequently mailed $169,518 across multiple checks, which he deposited into his personal accounts for his own expenses, according the New Jersey Attorney General.

Ochs is facing up 30 years and $250,000 in fines for the disaster relief fraud charge and 30 years and $1 million in fines for the mail fraud charge.

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