A New Jersey contractor who stole nearly $600,000 intended to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy will spend five years in prison, prosecutors said Friday.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Adam Nevius, 49, is headed to New Jersey State Prison after admitting to pocketing money from at least 17 homeowners for repairs his company, Coastal Restorations of New Jersey, neglected to make between Sept. 1, 2014 and June 16, 2017.
The Manahawkin man was arrested on March 14 in Indiana after blowing off an initial August 2023 sentencing date.
Nevius’ 55-year-old wife, Kimberly Atkinson, was also implicated in the scam that sent Nevius away, but charges against her were dropped as a result of her husband’s plea deal. She’s a co-owner in the company operated by the pair.
Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast when it struck in 2012, killing 38 people in New Jersey and causing $30 billion in damage, according to New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The storm is blamed for 43 deaths and $19 billion in damage in New York.