News
Former RB Bookkeeper Indicted For Theft Of Funds
By John Burton
FREEHOLD - An Atlantic Highlands woman who worked as a bookkeeper for the Red Bank-based Ansorge Unlimited advertising and marketing firm, was indicted this week for allegedly misappropriating nearly half a million dollars from the business.
A county grand jury returned an indictment on Monday charging Rebecca Leavitt Cirillo, 32, the former bookkeeper, with second degree theft by deception and numerous tax-related offenses, which are third degree crimes, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said on Monday.
Cirillo had worked at Ansorge Unlimited, Inc., 20 Broad Street, as a part-time bookkeeper from July 2005 until she was terminated in Nov. 2007. After Cirillo left the firm, the business owner contacted the prosecutor's office concerning alleged irregularities discovered with the company's finances, according to the prosecutor's office.
As part of her responsibilities, Cirillo managed accounts and had access to the accounting system, as to which checks were issued. But the bookkeeper was not authorized to sign checks for the company, authorities said.
After Cirillo's departure, the company hired a new bookkeeper, who discovered that numerous checks from the firm's accounting system and accounts allegedly were not sent to the appropriate parties. An audit of the company's books showed that many of the checks made out to vendors or to cash allegedly went to Cirillo, authorities charged.
Deducting Cirillo's legitimate payroll checks and expenses paid to her in checks, there were others totaling an approximate $437,864.26, the prosecutor's office said.
A investigation conducted by the state's Division of Taxation's Office of Criminal Investigation alleged Cirillo filed false tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007, with state officials charging she failed to pay the appropriate taxes.
According to the prosecutor's office, all income is required to be reported and taxes paid on it, even if that money is the proceeds of criminal activity.
Authorities arrested Cirillo on Feb. 1; she was released on her own recognizance, the prosecutor's office said.
Ansorge Unlimited is owned and operated by Claudia Ansorge, who founded the firm in 1996. Ansorge in 1990 founded and served as the original publisher for The Two River Times™.
