Crime & Safety

Former Hoboken Cop Accused of Defrauding FEMA of $23K

Martin J. Kiely, 59, who retired in 1992, twice misrepresented his primary residence in applications seeking damage-relief funds.

A former Hoboken police officer has been accused of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of $23,000, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Martin J. Kiely, 59, of Highlands Borough, has been charged with two counts of third-degree theft by deception stemming from two applications to FEMA that awarded him $23,000.

Kiely, who retired in 1992 from the Hoboken Police Department, claimed his primary residence was a vacant 5th Street house in Highlands Borough, according to the prosecutor's office.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office’s Superstorm Sandy Fraud Task Force and the federal Department of Homeland Security revealed Kiely owns two properties in Highlands Borough, one on Shore Drive and the vacant home on 5th Street.

The Shore Drive residence serves as his primary residence, and the the 5th Street home has been vacant and without electrical service since 2004, according to the prosecutor's office. The investigation also revealed borough officials have considered demolishing the 5th Street property because of its disrepair.

Kiely filed an application with FEMA and was awarded $19,000 for Hurricane Irene damage to the 5th Street property in 2011, the prosecutor's office said. Kiely, however, misrepresented the property on the application as his primary residence and the primary residence of his two children, according to the prosecutor's office.

Kiely filed a second application with FEMA and was awarded $3,000 for Superstorm Sandy damages to what he again called his primary residence on 5th Street, the prosecutor's office said. 

Kiely faces three to five years on each count if convicted.

Find out what's happening in Hobokenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.