NJ Woman Indicted In Alleged Theft Of $274K From Her Now-Defunct Law Firm/Employer's Trust Account

From the Office of the Monmouth County, New Jersey Prosecutor:

• [A] Monmouth County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Kimberly Dehl, 33, of Toms River, N.J., with one count of second degree Theft and one count of second degree Misapplication of Entrusted Property. The charges relate to Dehl’s former role as the office manager of a Howell Township, N.J., law firm. The indictment follows an investigation which was conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

• Dehl worked for the law firm of Bongiovanni & Pavliv from 1998 until she resigned in November 2007. The investigation revealed that from January 2002 through November 2007, Dehl misappropriated more than $274,000 in funds which were in the law firm’s trust account. Dehl accessed the funds by writing checks from the firm’s trust account which she then issued in order to make her mortgage payments and to pay her personal credit card bills. Dehl also issued checks to herself which she then deposited into her own personal bank accounts. The theft was not discovered until after Dehl’s resignation from the law firm.

• The law firm of Bongiovanni & Pavliv dissolved in December 2007. The funds which were stolen from the law firm’s trust account were reimbursed by the law firm and the law firm’s insurance carrier.

For the Monmouth County Prosecutor's press release, see Toms River Woman Indicted For Theft From Howell Township Law Firm.