Couple Tried to Game Sandy Aid — The Consequences Were Brutal

Here's a cautionary story to keep in mind if you are ever tempted to lie about your primary residence on legal papers to try to cheat the system.

I remember hearing stories about people doing this after Hurricane Sandy. This couple was one of them, and they paid a high price.

Jersey City Couple Claimed Damaged Brigantine House as Primary Home

I read this story on NJ.com about a married couple from Jersey City, who bought a second home in Brigantine in 2002.

Harry Guerriere and his wife, Theresa, were both teachers in Jersey City.

When Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012, the couple's home was severely damaged.

But when Theresa filled out the Homeowner Resettlement Program and Renovation, Reconstruction, Elevation, and Mitigation program paperwork, she lied and said the Brigantine home was their primary residence.

It's funny that 15 years later, but I can still remember filling out that cumbersome paperwork and hoping they would approve our damaged Margate home.

We eventually got the money. The difference with us is that we actually live full-time in Margate.

The system caught up to the Guerrieres, and judges later found that official records at the time, including driver’s licenses, voter registrations, tax filings, and employment documents, showed the couple actually lived in Jersey City.

Snagged!

The Husband Claimed He Didn't Know What His Wife Did

When the Guerrieres went to court, Harry claimed he did not know how his wife had filled out the paperwork. He told the judge that his wife had handled it and he hadn't gotten involved.

But the judge pointed out that Guerriere signed documents tied to the grant application, changed his address on several official records after the storm, and submitted an address change to his employer.

Even worse for his case, the $10,000 check the couple recieved in hurricane relief money was deposited into their joint bank account.

Guerriere was charged in 2018 with theft by deception of the relief funds. He later pleaded guilty to a downgraded disorderly persons offense and paid fines.

Both Lost their Teaching Credentials

Theresa Guerriere was stripped of her teaching credentials in 2023, and last month, the state Commissioner of Education upheld a 2024 ruling revoking all teaching certificates held by Harry Guerriere, of Jersey City.

According to NJ.com, the decision permanently stripped Guerriere of "multiple teaching credentials he had held for decades, including certificates in special education, elementary education, driver education, and speech-language services."