By: Richard L. Smith
A former general manager at a Monmouth County motorcycle dealership is facing criminal charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from her employer, according to a statement released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday that Chelsea A. Marra-Kaufmann, 36, of Toms River, has been charged with third-degree theft by taking or exercising unlawful control over property.
The investigation began last year following a referral to the West Long Branch Police Department.
A review of the dealership’s payroll, business, and sales records revealed that Marra-Kaufmann had improperly received extra paychecks on three occasions in late 2022, totaling nearly $6,000, without approval from the company’s leadership.
Authorities say she never reported the overpayments.
Further investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit uncovered additional incidents.
Around the same time, officials say Marra-Kaufmann wrote a $3,300 check for a personal motorcycle purchase that later bounced due to insufficient funds. She allegedly disguised the shortage as bank fees to conceal the issue.
In another case from 2023, Marra-Kaufmann reportedly failed to pay an $18,000 deposit on a sale and then manipulated the dealership’s accounting system to cover up the missing funds.
Altogether, the alleged theft amounted to just over $27,000. Marra-Kaufmann was served the charges last week and is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Tuesday, June 10, in Monmouth County Superior Court.
The investigation remains ongoing.