Mercer Co. Man Charged With Receiving Stolen Checks

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A Mercer County man was charged with receiving stolen checks and for allegedly using a corporate bank account to receive the stolen funds, Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck and Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Tracy M. Thompson announced.

Wayne Bessant, 40, of Hamilton, was indicted on second-degree receiving stolen property and second-degree misconduct by a corporate official. The indictment was handed up by a state grand jury on Wednesday, officials said.

Between Aug. 9, 2019 and Sept. 16, 2019, Bessant received 23 stolen checks. He was also charged with second-degree misconduct by a corporate official for allegedly using the company, New Tech Restoration LLC, to receive more than $75,000 in stolen funds, Bruck said.

Thompson said that many cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the website at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution, and conviction for insurance fraud.