4 THE COURIER SUN • FEBRUARY 23, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Four cuffed for Sandy relief scam Four people were arrested for allegedly filing false claims with the Build It Back program. BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport They took advantage of a terrible situation, and now they’re paying the price. A joint investigation by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) andQueens District Attorney Richard A. Brown’s office arrested and charged four people with submitting fraudulent applications for the city’s Build It Back program, scamming Queens residents out of nearly $300,000 in disaster relief funds. The Build It Back program was set up to help homeowners repair their homes that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The four defendants allegedly falsely filed claims with the program by claiming their secondary residences in Breezy Point were in fact their primary homes, when they truly lived in Brooklyn, Long Island and other parts of Queens. “The defendants are accused of using one of the worst natural disasters to ever strike New York in recent history to unjustly enrich themselves by applying for public funds to which they were not entitled,” Brown said. According to the DOI investigation, George Bonitsis, 67, of Brooklyn; John Holl, 73, of East Meadow, Long Island; John Phelan, 54, of Syosset, Long Island; and Donata Rea, 58, of Rockaway Park, were arrested for defrauding the Build It Back program. Prosecutors said Bonitsis allegedly submitted an application with the Build It Back program in July 2013 to get help for his property in Breezy Point, representing the property as his primary residence. Before the investigation stopped construction on the house, Bonitsis already received construction repairs valued at $125,802 in November 2015. The investigation found his primary residence was actually in Brooklyn. Holl allegedly falsely applied for assistance QNS/File photo in September 2013, representing the Breezy Point property as his primary residence, when he actually lives in East Meadow, the criminal complaint continued. His application was approved in June 2016, and Holl fraudulently received $86,560 for reconstruction of the property. The criminal complaint added that Phelan allegedly filed a false application with the Build It Back program to repair his and his mother’s secondary residence in Breezy Point. Phelan was listed as a co-applicant with his mother the applicant on an application submitted in October 2013. Only Phelan’s signature, however, appears on the application, which claimed the property was his and his mother’s primary residence. The application was approved in June 2016, and Phelan obtained $66,371 for reconstruction of the property. The DOI investigation found the Phelan’s and his mother’s primary residences were held in Syosset, Nassau County, and Maspeth respectively. Rea allegedly filed a false application with the Build It Back program, in addition to a larger scheme to take money from the estate of a woman who died in 2011. Investigators exposed Rea’s scheme to fraudulently assume ownership of homes owned by the deceased woman. This scheme resulted in Rea fraudulently obtaining benefits from the decedent in excess of $1 million. “In addition to Wednesday’s arrests,” said Mark G. Peters, DOI commissioner, “DOI’s investigations are ongoing and aimed at ensuring aid rightfully goes to families who are still trying to rebuild almost five years after the devastating storm.” The four suspects were variously charged with grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing; they could each face jail sentences from as little as four years in prison to as much as 25 years behind bars. Cops kill man in Jamaica standoff BY EMILY DAVENPORTI edavenport@qns.com @QNS A police officer opened fire on men who brandished fake pistols during a standoff at a Jamaica apartment building on the night of Feb. 15, law enforcement sources said. Nobody was injured by the fired shot, and police were able to apprehend a suspect involved in the incident. Two other men, however, managed to avoid capture, according to the NYPD. Authorities said the trouble began at 7:43 p.m. on Feb. 15 inside 106-35 159th St. in the New York City Housing Authority’s South Jamaica I Houses. Members of Public Service Area responded there after receiving a 911 call about individuals fighting and using drugs. Upon their arrival, police said, the officers encountered three unknown men in the second floor stairwell, two of whom were holding firearms. The officers drew their Photo courtesy of the NYPD firearms and instructed the men to not move. Following the warning, at least one man turned toward the officers while still holding their weapon, causing an officer to fire one round, which didn’t strike anyone. Two imitation firearms were recovered from the scene. One of the suspects was taken into custody while the other two men fled the location. Police have not yet disclosed the identity of the arrested suspect. The investigation is ongoing. Howard Beach man fatally run over by his own SUV BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com @robbpoz A Howard Beach man died on the afternoon of Feb. 15 after being accidentally run over by his own SUV in the parking lot of a shopping center in Brooklyn, police reported. According to authorities, Michael Mannarino, 76, of 92nd Street had backed his 2015 Jeep Cherokee into a spot at the mall located at 9714 Seaview Ave. in Canarsie at 3:10 p.m. on Feb. 15. Law enforcement sources said he got out of the vehicle, apparently without realizing it was still in reverse gear. According to police, the SUV rolled in reverse and ran over Mannarino, causing severe injuries to his hips and torso. Officers from the 69th Precinct and EMS units responded to the scene and found Mannarino lying on the pavement with body trauma. Paramedics removed him to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An investigation by the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is ongoing. Photo: Shutterstock
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