Superstorm Sandy contractor stole $1M — spent it on drugs

TOMS RIVER — Authorities say a contractor who stole grant money earmarked for homes ravaged by Superstorm Sandy was sentenced to a decade in prison.

Robert Brower admitted he stole more than $225,000 from a federal grant that was supposed to be used for repairs to a home in Seaside Heights, one of the hardest areas hit in the 2012 storm.

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced the sentence Friday.

Authorities say the 45-year-old transferred the funds to an account he created using his dead father's social security number.

He also admitted to taking more than $750,000 from a homeowner for a project to fix a home damaged during the storm. He claimed he spent the money on drugs.

A judge ordered him to pay more than $1 million in restitution.

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