Ocean County Woman Posed As Her Dead Mom, Stole $200K From Pension Fund: NJ AG

TRENTON, NJ — An Ocean County woman is accused of stealing more than $200,000 from a union pension fund by posing as her dead mother, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said Tuesday.

Kristen G. Arntz, 54, of Beachwood, has been charged with two counts of second-degree theft by deception and three counts of third-degree forgery, state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said.

Arntz is accused of collecting $97,139 from the pension fund of Ironworkers Local 11 and $120,700 from the union’s annuity fund from January 2021 to July 2025, following her mother's death, authorities said.

In addition, authorities say she did not notify the union of her mother’s death and took control of her mother’s bank account to continue receiving benefits to which she was not entitled from the union. Arntz also is accused of forging several letters to the union in her mother’s name, requesting advance payments from the union’s annuity fund.

"Private pension funds like the one victimized in this case exist to help provide some measure of financial security to the workers who paid into them, often over a lifetime," Davenport said. "The charges in this indictment allege a scheme to steal a large amount of money to which the defendant was not entitled."

"Stealing more than $200,000 from the pension programs by concealing a family member’s death, as this defendant is alleged to have done, is a calculated betrayal of a fund that hardworking employees depend on, and it will not be tolerated," said Martha Nye, interim director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with pertinent information is asked to contact the DCJ tip line at (800) 277-2427.