Prison For South Amboy Woman Who Stole From Her Employer

SOUTH AMBOY, NJ — A South Amboy woman was sentenced Wednesday to 72 months in prison for orchestrating a $1.7 million bank fraud scheme that involved writing fraudulent business checks, said acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig.

Tammy L. Martinez, 49, of South Amboy, previously pleaded guilty to one charge of bank fraud.

Federal prosecutors say that from January 2014 through March 2019, Martinez served as an office manager and bookkeeper for a New Jersey based company, which was not named to protect its privacy.

Beginning in January 2014, Martinez used her position at the company to issue fraudulent checks made payable to herself or cash and forged the signature of her manager. She cashed the checks at bank branches throughout New Jersey.

The scheme allowed Martinez to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for more than half a decade before she was discovered, resulting in approximately $1.78 million in losses.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Martinez to five years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $1.78 million.

She was represented by a public defender.

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