Contractor Accused of Bilking Ortley Beach Condo Owners Captured in Florida

Steven Romano (Photo: OCPO)

A contractor who was paid more than $250,000 to perform repairs on an Ortley Beach condominium complex damaged in Superstorm Sandy was arrested by authorities in Florida last week and is being extradited to New Jersey to face theft charges.

Steven Romano, who has already been indicted by a grand jury in Ocean County, was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla. on May 17. The indictment was handed up April 16.

Prosecutors say Romano, owner of Oak Hill Construction, entered into a contract with the residents of Seaview Condominium Association in Ortley Beach to rebuild the Sandy-ravaged residences. But despite receiving over $250,000 in payments to repair the individual units, Romano allegedly failed to complete the work. Romano accepted additional money for paving, line striping, signage and landscaping and failed to complete the work, prosecutors say.

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Romano is charged with second degree theft by failure to make disposition, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.