Crooked contractor sentenced to 10 years for ripping off Sandy victims

Kathleen Hopkins | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Sandy fraud victims speak at Lawson sentencing Crooked Sandy contractor Jamie Lawson's victims get their chance to speaks to the court during his sentencing in State Superior Court in Toms River.

TOMS RIVER - Months of legal maneuvering came to an end Friday when a judge sentenced a crooked contractor to 10 years in state prison for ripping off 41 superstorm Sandy victims of almost $2 million.

But some victims of Jamie Lawson said they still won't be back in their homes by the time Lawson, 43, of Brick, can be considered for release on parole.

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Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels ordered Lawson to serve at least 3½ years in prison before he can become eligible for parole. With credit for 400 days he has spent in the Ocean County Jail, Lawson can be considered for release in less than 2½ years.

"A lot of the victims, their lives have been disrupted for longer than that already,'' said Al Miller of Brick, who with his wife, Laura, lost $75,000 to Lawson.

"By the time he's 45 years old, he can go on with his life. We cannot,'' said Anthony Feiraioli, who paid Lawson $64,000 to raise their Middletown home and repair it after Sandy, only to have it raised without permits and abandoned.

"I won't be in my home, and he'll be out of jail,'' Feiraioli's wife, Carol, said of Lawson. "My house will still be up in the air.''

Lawson, whose sentencing was postponed numerous times while he contemplated taking back his guilty plea, had nothing to say before he was sentenced.

His victims gave him an earful, and Daniels noted the defendant wouldn't even look at them.

Allison Bindell of Toms River said Lawson not only victimized her, he also stole from her children.

"You took from their college fund,'' Bindell told Lawson. "You took from my retirement fund.

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"You should be ashamed of yourself,'' Bindell continued. "I hope this is the last time I have to lay my eyes on you because you're a real piece of crap.''



Carol Feiraioli broke down crying after telling the judge she must pay a monthly mortgage and insurance on a home she still can't inhabit and has become ill from the stress of it all.

April Williams of Seaside Heights said she paid Lawson $75,000 to repair her parents' home in Toms River, only to have him walk away. Williams said she asked Lawson to pay her back the money, but he threatened her with legal action.

"It's my parent's house,'' Williams said. "It means a lot to me. He didn't care.''

Dianne Spatola of Brick said Lawson even ripped off the residential community where he lived. He had been hired to rebuild their clubhouse.

"Jamie, I'm saying it's personal,'' Spatola said. "You didn't have to do it to us.''

Lawson pleaded guilty Oct. 5 to first-degree money laundering and second-degree theft. His sentencing was postponed numerous times since then.

When he was due to be sentenced last month, Daniels said he wasn't satisfied with the amount of restitution Lawson had come up with, and Lawson's attorney, Mitchell Ansell, said he planned to file a motion asking that Lawson be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea. Ansell since said Lawson changed his mind and was ready to take responsibility for his crimes.

In fact, Lawson put $300,000 on the table for restitution, but the state rejected it, Ansell said.

William Scharfenberg, supervising assistant Ocean County prosecutor, said the state could not accept the money because there were no assurances it didn't come from victims elsewhere.

Moreover, the amount was a small percentage of the $1.8 million Lawson stole, he said.

"It's more of an insult than a help in the case,'' Scharfenberg said.

Anthony Feiraioli put it like this: "Three hundred thousand for all the families' lives that you ruined and all the money you've taken is like saying I'm going to steal $100 and give you a penny back.''



Ansell lauded Lawson's character and said he is unlikely to steal again.



"He actually built a church down in South Carolina and donated it to the community,'' the defense attorney said.



Scharfenberg disagreed with Ansell's assessment and said Lawson has criminal records in North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and New Jersey.



"I submit to the court, this is not someone who made a onetime mistake,'' Scharfenberg said.

Daniels, in sentencing Lawson, noted he has been found guilty of crimes on 17 prior occasions in various states and that he has ''at least 41 victims here.''

Many paid Lawson six-figure sums for work that either wasn't done or wasn't finished, he said.

"Lives were ruined,'' the judge said. "They cannot return to their homes.''

In addition to the prison term, Daniels ordered Lawson to pay $1,860,981 in restitution.



"In one sense, it's over; in another sense, it's not, '' said Sheila Ongrady of Toms River, who says she was Lawson's first New Jersey victim and that she tried to get authorities to take action before he claimed more victims.



"For people who aren't back in their homes, it's not over,'' Ongrady said. "At least, it's good to know he's going away and he can't do this to anyone else.''

Kathleen Hopkins: 732-643-4202: khopkins@app.com