Sandy contractor pleads guilty to $1.86M theft

TOMS RIVER – A former home improvement contractor who admitted Thursday to ripping off superstorm Sandy victims to the tune of about $1.86 million faces up to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison, a senior assistant prosecutor said. James “Jamie” Lawson, 42, under terms of a plea agreement with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, entered guilty pleas before Judge Wendel E. Daniels in Ocean County Superior Court to one count of first-degree of financial facilitation of criminal activity — more commonly known as money laundering — and one count of theft. Approximately 30 homeowners’ names, plus about a half-dozen unpaid Lawson construction employees, were named as victims under the theft count, said William Scharfenberg, a senior assistant prosecutor with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. “The reason it was done that way (listing the victims) was because some of these individuals have RREM (Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation) funding under the grant, and RREM is requiring that there be a legal document saying they were defrauded,” Scharfenberg said. “So we put all the victims’ names in that theft count.” Lawson, a longtime contractor who had moved to New Jersey shortly after superstorm Sandy pummeled the Jersey shore in 2012, set up shop in Brick, then contracted with dozens of Monmouth and Ocean county homeowners whose residences were damaged by the storm. ALSO: Brick contractor accused of fraud Contractor accused of stealing $1.5M arrested in South Carolina Contractor accused of stealing $1.5M to remain in Ocean County jail What followed was a flood of complaints, as Lawson either did little work or none at all, according to residents and the authorities. Lawson could be sentenced to 10 years. Of that term, he would be required to serve at least three-and-a-half years until he would be eligible to be considered for release on parole, Scharfenberg said. Additionally, under the terms of a civil consent judgment, Lawson is required to pay $1.86 million, Scharfenberg said. Lawson’s attorney, Keith Oliver, of the Middletown law firm Proetta & Oliver, could not be reached Thursday. More: Four with Shore homes charged in Sandy fraud schemes More: Sandy fraud payments top $5 million, hundreds of victims More: Little Egg couple accused of bilking Sandy victims Jamie Lawson, a home contractor accused of fraud and theft, agrees to a ten year prison sentence. Brian Johnston Lawson’s demeanor in court Thursday was a stark contrast to a previous court appearance during the summer. In early July, Lawson stared at people in the gallery and smirked at the handful of victims who were on hand. Join now for as low as $19.99 a year Subscribe Now On Thursday, Lawson did not look at the gallery and he stared straight ahead at the wall in front of him, or otherwise lowered his eyes. Around 15 homeowners who had paid tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to Lawson sat on the benches, their eyes trained on the man who promised plenty but delivered little. More: Complaint: Sandy scammer bilked $350k More: Hit twice: Why state didn’t protect Sandy victims from fraud More: 5 accused of stealing Sandy aid Prior to entering the guilty pleas, Lawson, clad in green county prison garb and pristine white sneakers, followed instructions to place his left hand on a copy of the Bible and raise his right hand, while spelling his name to a court secretary. With his wrists shackled, Lawson struggled to raise his right hand while his left hand remained on the Bible. A few people in the gallery audibly snickered. He did not visibly react. Seated at the witness stand, Lawson quietly responded to dozens of questions from an attorney. Some of the questions: Had Lawson moved to New Jersey on or around Nov. 1, 2012? Did he fail to disclose on his home improvement contractor application that he had been criminally convicted of offenses in other states? Did he have Chase, PNC and Bank of America accounts that he used to keep money he gained from his contracting business? Did he use that money to pay for trips, dinners, credit card bills and personal expenses? “Yes,” Lawson said in response to all of the inquiries. Victims in the gallery remained silent. Outside the courtroom, the victims beamed and chatted happily. One victim said the sentencing, if it happens as scheduled on Dec. 1, would be an early birthday gift to her. She was born Dec. 4. Scharfenberg said he was pleased with the outcome. “This is a good result,” Scharfenberg said. “You know, it’s a white-collar case. You don’t normally get these type of sentences out of the court. We had a defense attorney that understood the paperwork and went over it with his client, and they agreed to a term that I think was very good.” About a year ago, Lawson, then 41, had been indicted in Ocean County Superior Court on money laundering, six counts of second-degree theft by failure to make required disposition, third-degree tampering with public records — referring to the omissions made in his contracting application — and one count of fourth-degree unregistered home improvement contracting. At the time of the indictment, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Lawson had previously performed contracting work in North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma, in addition to other Southern states, and faced fraud charges related to his construction business. Shortly after the indictment was handed up in Ocean County, Lawson disappeared from New Jersey and was named a fugitive. Six months later, in June, while staying at an extended-stay hotel in Florence, South Carolina, Lawson was arrested by U.S. Marshals. Lawson was extradited back to New Jersey and since held in the Ocean County jail. As part of the plea agreement, several counts of the indictment were dismissed, in addition to the arrest warrant. The sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 1, will be before Daniels.