Freehold eye doctor employee admits stealing $75K from employer
Monmouth County NJ May 22 2019
A South Amboy woman admitted in court Monday that she stole more than $75,000 from the Freehold eye doctor’s office where she worked by depositing credit card returns directly into her personal bank account, authorities said.
Sheryl Ward, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree theft in front of Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor, according to a news release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities say Ward worked in the contact lens department of an ophthalmologist office when she committed the theft over a 17-month period. The prosecutor’s office did not disclose the office where Ward worked except to say it is located in Freehold Township.
Ward admitted in court that between August 2016 and January 2018, she processed the fraudulent returns of more than $75,000 of merchandise belonging to her employer by creating falsified credit card returns that were then deposited into her personal account, according to the release.
Prosecutors will recommend Ward face a five-year prison term under the terms of a plea agreement. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26.
Assistant Prosecutor Lawrence Nelsen handled the case for the state.
Ward was represented by East Brunswick-based attorney Antonio Toto.
