Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said today that a drug treatment counselor has been arrested and charged with extorting cash from a client in exchange for favorable reports on the client’s progress.
Anthony Trimble, 54, of Howell Township, was charged on Dec. 16th with a second-degree count of theft by extortion for demanding the victim make cash payments.
Trimble was released on his own recognizance after being charged.
An investigation by Detective Kevin Schroeck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Trimble, a counsellor at Journey to Wellness clinic in Perth Amboy, demanded the undisclosed sum on December 14, 2016 after the victim failed a drug test.
As part of his three-year probationary term, the victim was required to report to Trimble. The victim, whose identity is being withheld, told his attorney, who contacted authorities.
If convicted, Trimble could be sentenced to five to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison.
The investigation is active and is continuing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Schroeck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3300.