Wall Twp Law Office Manager Charged With $100K+ Theft

WALL, NJ - A former office manager at a Wall Township-based law firm is facing theft charges after she allegedly stole over $100,000 from the business, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Patricia Vaughn, 62, was arrested and charged on Friday with second degree theft following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Wall Township Police Department. The Toms River woman was subsequently released on summons.

According to a statement released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wall Township Police Department contacted the county authorities in January 2020 after receiving a theft report from the owner of the law office that Vaughn was stealing funds.

A joint investigation revealed numerous unauthorized transfers from business and personal accounts to the firm’s operating account. The Prosecutor’s Office reported that Vaughn made these transfers in her capacity as office manager from 2011 through 2019, hiding the transfers by creating false bank statements. Vaughan then used the additional money from the operating account to give herself unauthorized salary increases and issued herself extra paychecks totaling around $105,552.50.

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Diane Aifer is assigned to the case.

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