NJ contractors bought cars, $17K diamond ring with Sandy funds, authorities say

LITTLE EGG HARBOR — An Ocean County couple is facing charges including theft, money laundering and tax fraud after authorities say they were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by superstorm Sandy victims, but used the money to gamble and buy luxury items while the homes remained in disrepair.

Jeffrey Colmyer, 41, and Tiffany Cimino, 43, of Little Egg Harbor were arrested Tuesday,  Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a statement. Authorities said more than 20 storm victims paid the couple and their construction firms over $1 million, mostly in Sandy relief funds.

Authorities say Colmyer and Cimino allegedly used a large portion of the funds paid by Sandy victims to pay for personal expenses such as luxury cars. Cimino also allegedly purchases jewelry including a $17,000 diamond ring, while Colmyer gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars at seven different Atlantic City casinos. The funds were paid by Sandy victims looking to have their homes repaired, elevated and rebuilt after they sustained heavy damage during the storm.

"Meanwhile, they abandoned jobs, or in many cases failed to even start jobs, leaving many victims with uninhabitable homes.  Most of the funds that allegedly were stolen came from the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation Program, a Sandy relief program administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development," the attorney general's office said.

In August, the state's Division of Consumer Affairs filed a civil action against Cimino and Colmyer for alleged violations of the Consumer Fraud Act. The civil action sought consumer restitution and civil penalties. Further investigation by state and federal authorities led to criminal charges.

“Colmyer and Cimino heartlessly preyed on homeowners who were devastated by Superstorm Sandy,” said Attorney General Porrino.  “Just when victims were thrown a lifeline in the form of Sandy relief funds and were trying to reclaim their lives, this couple allegedly stole their money and snatched that lifeline away.”

According to the Division of Criminal Justice, more than 70 defendants have been charged with fraud related to superstorm Sandy funds.

Colmyer and Cimino were charged by complaint-warrant with several criminal charges including: second degree theft by failure to make required disposition of property, second degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, second degree money laundering, second degree misconduct by a corporate official, third degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, third degree tampering with public records, third degree filing fradulent tax returns, third degree failure to file a tax return and third degree failure to pay taxes.

Their construction firms, RCMS and Colmyer & Sons, have also been charged with theft, money laundering, structuring, and tampering with public records. Authorities say Colmyer has two prior convictions for theft by failure to make required disposition of property.

The pair faces prison time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if convicted, according to the attorney general's office.

Toniann Antonelli is a social content producer for NJ 101.5. She can be reached at toniann.antonelli@townsquaremedia.com, or on Twitter @ToniRadio1015.

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