51-Year-Old Manahawkin Woman Pleaded Guilty Last Week To Stealing From Her Former Employer
Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 6:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP, NJ.- Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported on Monday, July 1, 2024, Dona Carlo-Tanzola, 51, of Manahawkin, New Jersey, appeared in Ocean County Superior Court and entered a guilty plea to Theft before the Honorable Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C., in connection with her former employment as an administrative assistant with the engineering firm of Horn, Tyson & Yoder, Inc.
In return for the guilty plea, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend that Carlo-Tanzola be sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison and restitution of $139,698.56. Sentencing in the matter has been scheduled for August 30, 2024.
The guilty plea stems from an investigation by the Long Beach Township Police Department. During the investigation, Detectives determined that between May 2022 and November 2022, Carlo-Tanzola, as an administrative assistant for the firm, took checks made payable to the firm, deposited them in her personal bank accounts, and used the proceeds for her own benefit.
In order to cover up her theft, Carlo-Tanzola fraudulently edited the business’s financial records by deleting paid invoices in client accounts despite the firm having received the payments for the services performed. In total, Carlo-Tanzola diverted dozens of checks totaling $178,774.35. Following being confronted with the theft, Carlo-Tanzola made partial restitution in the amount of $39,075.79.
Following the investigation, on January 9, 2023, Carlo-Tanzola was taken into custody without incident and processed on the charge, and was released on a summons pending future court proceedings.
