5 charged with theft for bogus Superstorm Sandy aid claims

(AP) - Five more New Jersey residents have been charged with filing fraudulent applications for Superstorm Sandy relief.
The new cases announced Friday by the state Attorney General's office brings the total number of people charged statewide to 109. Officials say all the false claims are responsible for diverting more than $6 million in relief funds.
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The five new defendants are all accused of falsely claiming in their grant and loan applications that their damaged shore homes were their primary residences. Each is charged with theft by deception, and three of them also face charges of unsworn falsification.
Officials say one woman claimed to live in a home she was actually renting to a tenant.
If convicted, the defendants could each face up to 10 years in prison.
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