New Jersey

Man Turns Himself In After Allegedly Faking Death in Jersey Shore Boat Crash

A man missing since a pontoon boat crash at the Jersey Shore last summer has turned himself into authorities after allegedly faking his death.

Andrew Biddle, 45, turned up at Atlantic County Superior Court with his attorney on Thursday afternoon to surrender to authorities, Egg Harbor Township police tell NBC10.

The professional boater has been missing since July 20, 2014, when a pontoon boat he was piloting collided with an unlit buoy right off Longport, New Jersey. Biddle and a passenger were thrown into the water. The passenger was found ashore, but Biddle went missing.

Within weeks of the crash, police told NBC10's Ted Greenberg they didn't believe it was an accident and suspected that Biddle was still alive.

Egg Harbor Township police had charged Biddle with several counts of theft by deception months before he disappeared for allegedly defrauding customers during boat sales. They sent out a flier to other law enforcement agencies asking them to be on the lookout for Biddle.

The boat involved in the crash didn't belong to Biddle. Rather, it belonged to a Douglasville, Pennsylvania, couple who say the man and his company stole it from them.

Biddle's attorney Mark Roddy said he's unsure where his client has been since disappearing.

Biddle was arraigned Thursday afternoon and was granted $50,000 bail.

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