Contractor in Ocean County, NJ, scammed 17 homeowners, now he’s going to prison

A contractor in Ocean County who scammed at least 17 homeowners is headed to prison for the next several years.

Adam Nevius of Manahawkin, NJ, Sentenced

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says on Friday, 49-year-old Adam Nevius of Manahawkin was sentenced to five years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to theft by failure to make required disposition.

He was also ordered to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution to his victims.

Authorities say Nevius and his wife, 55-year-old Kimberly Atkinson, also of Manahawkin, owned and operated Coastal Restorations of New Jersey, LLC.

Between September 2014 and June 2017, Nevius, as representative of Coastal Restoration, entered into contracts with at least 17 victim homeowners and two sub-contractors for repairs on their homes, most of which were damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

• MORE NEWS: Lakewood Man Heads to Prison For Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Crash

Authorities say despite receiving almost $700,000 from the victims for the repairs, Coastal Restoration did little to no work on the homes. Instead, Nevius utilized the funds for his own personal benefit.

In spring 2019, Nevius was taken into custody and then released under state bail reform guidelines. When he was originally scheduled to be sentenced that summer, he failed to appear in court.

With a warrant out for his arrest, Nevius was taken into custody this past March in Lafayette, Indiana, by the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department.

Charges Dropped Against Kimberly Atkinson

Kimberly Atkinson was likewise charged in this case, however, Nevius exonerated her when he pleaded guilty, and charges against her were dropped.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer thanked the numerous law enforcement agencies that worked on this case, including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; Ocean County Department of Consumer Affairs; the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana; and the Stafford Township, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, and Surf City Police Departments.