A Toms River contractor has been charged with separate offenses after he allegedly failed to perform Hurricane Sandy related work that he was paid to do.
TOMS RIVER - A township contractor has been charged with separate offenses after he allegedly failed to perform Hurricane Sandy related work that he was paid to do, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.
On Monday, Seaside Heights residents Mary and Nick Ditta went to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office to report a theft by contractor Thomas Carlevale, 29, of Thomas Carlevale Construction in Toms River.
Thomas Carlevale, 29, of Thomas Carlevale Construction in Toms River. (Ocean County Prosecutor's Office) The couple reported that they contracted Carlevale's company to lift and renovate their home in Seaside Heights, but that the work was left incomplete.
A subsequent investigation by the prosecutor's office's Special Investigations Unit determined that the Ditta's provided approximately $22,000 to Carlevale for the requested services and that Thomas Carlevale spent approximately $4,500 on the job before abandoning the work and leaving the residence damaged and incomplete, authorities said.
The investigation also uncovered that Carlevale was not registered with the State of New Jersey as a home improvement contractor at the time the contract was drafted, the prosecutor's office said.
Arrest warrants for theft by failure to make required disposition and failure to register as a home improvement contractor were granted and bail was set at $50,000 with no 10-percent option.
At approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, members of the Special Investigations Unit arrested Carlevale following a motor vehicle stop on Washington Street in Toms River, the prosecutor's office said.
Anyone experiencing issues with Thomas Carlevale's Construction Company is asked to contact OCPO Special Investigations Unit Detective Brad Frank at 732-929-2027 Ext. 3689.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
