Ringwood Woman Charged Misappropriation Of Funds & Forgery
Tuesday, December 24, 2024, 4:30 P.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
RINGWOOD, NJ. On Monday, December 23, 2024, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel reported that a woman from Ringwood, New Jersey, was taken into custody and charged following an investigation into the alleged misappropriation and theft of funds from a Union County-based law firm where she was employed.
Colleen Hallenbeck, 54, of Ringwood, surrendered to Detectives on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at the Union County Prosecutor’s Office in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was formally charged with one count of first-degree Money Laundering; two counts of second-degree Theft; one count of third-degree Theft; and three counts of third-degree Forgery.
The charges stem from an investigation led by Detective Christine Spady of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Special Prosecutions Unit. The investigation uncovered that between 2018 and 2024, while she was employed as a paralegal at a Union County law firm, she misappropriated funds from various estates handled by the firm.
As part of her duties, Hallenbeck was responsible for distributing money from the estate accounts to beneficiaries. Instead, she wrote hundreds of unauthorized checks totaling more than $700,000 to deposit into accounts she held and controlled.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
