Phony Sandy Relief Website Remains Operable

A website being used to garner donations for Hurricane Sandy relief may continue to be in operation until April 22, despite its owners being sued for fraud, according to a report on nj.com.

Judge Robert Contillo was expected to rule this week the website be shut down, but extended the hearing for nearly two more weeks. The operators of the website are John Sandberg and Christina Terraccino, both of Sparta.

The devastated New Jersey in the fall of 2012, allegedly filtering $13,000 into their personal bank accounts and dispersing less than 1-percent of the funds to actual storm victims.

The website, for now, is able to be updated but can no longer take donations through online money transfer system PayPal.

That $600,000 of accrued donations is currently sitting in an attorney’s escrow account, the report said.