A Middlesex County woman was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for orchestrating a $1.7 million bank fraud scheme that involved writing fraudulent business checks, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Honig, Tammy L. Martinez, 49, of South Amboy, previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to an information charging her with bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2014 through March 2019, Martinez served as an office manager and bookkeeper for a New Jersey-based company.
Beginning in January 2014, Martinez used her position at the company to issue fraudulent checks made payable to herself or cash and forged the signature of her manager on the fraudulent company checks.
Martinez converted the fraudulent company checks into cash at bank branches in New Jersey.
The scheme allowed Martinez to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars every year for more than half a decade, resulting in approximately $1.78 million in losses.
In addition to the prison term, Martinez was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $1.78 million.