Atlantic City Woman Accused In Bank Fraud Scheme, Prosecutor Says

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — An Atlantic City woman has been charged in Ocean County with theft by deception, forgery and bad checks after an investigation into deposits made at OceanFirst Bank, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Shiela Harvey, 59, of Atlantic City, was charged with two counts of theft by deception, four counts of forgery and four counts of bad checks. The charges stem from an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Economic Crime Unit.

According to the prosecutor's office, investigators found that Harvey opened an account at OceanFirst Bank and then deposited four checks into that account. The investigation further determined that the checks were fraudulent and purported to be drawn on a non-existent JP Morgan Bank account, according to the announcement.

The prosecutor's office also reported that the investigation found Harvey knowingly withdrew $4,500 from the account on two separate occasions, despite not being lawfully entitled to those funds.

On July 28, 2026, Harvey surrendered herself to Little Egg Harbor Township Police Headquarters, according to the prosecutor's office. She was processed and served with the charges via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Superior Court.