TOMS RIVER – A contractor has pleaded guilty on two separate charges for deceiving Superstorm Sandy clients.
Robert Brower, 45, of Seaside Heights, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft for taking $750,000 from a Toms River homeowner and never completing the work. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer is asking he serve seven years in state prison for this.
In a second case, he pleaded guilty to second-degree money laundering, stealing more than $225,000 from a HUD grant he received. He transferred those funds to a bank account he opened using his dead father’s social security number and birthdate to hide those funds. Billhimer is seeking a 10-year prison term with 5 years parole ineligibility.
He pleaded guilty Jan. 28 before Judge Therese A. Cunningham.
The day before, he pleaded guilty to distributing 18 folds of heroin in February 2018. Billhimer is seeking five years in state prison for this.
Brower is being held in Ocean County Jail pending a March 15 sentencing.
