By John Burton
FREEHOLD – A Toms River man, accused of fraud and who had worked as an unregistered contractor on a Monmouth Beach home in the aftermath of Sandy, pleaded guilty Monday.
Shane “Shaine” Wood, 49, pleaded guilty in state Superior Court to fourth-degree charges of uttering a forged instrument and failure to register with the state Division of Consumer Affairs, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Wood was arrested in July following an investigation by the prosecutor’s office Super Storm Sandy Fraud Task Force. It was alleged that Wood subcontracted with a general contractor to do roof repair work on the Monmouth Beach home in late January 2013 as the principal of Reliable Roofing and Siding. Wood provided a forged document that his company had the required state Worker’s Compensation Insurance and had the necessary filings with Consumer Affairs to work as a construction contractor.
The general contractor, who had sought to sub-contract the work, contacted the county task force, which initiated the investigation, the prosecutor’s office said.
Wood is scheduled to again appear in court on Feb. 21, when prosecutors will recommend a probationary sentenced conditioned upon 364 days in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold, according to authorities.
