Lisa Morton, 41, of Freehold was arrested Feb. 15 and released on her own recognizance, Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said. She had been a court employee for more than 20 years and was most recently a supervisor assigned to the court's finance division in Ocean Township, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Prosecutor's detectives began investigating the alleged check-altering in December, Valentin said. Investigators allege Morton altered 23 checks totaling $7,553 and deposited them into her personal bank account, he said. Another 20 checks, totaling $11,280, were also altered, but not cashed due to a stop-payment order, he said.
"Morton violated the trust of her superiors and the fiduciary responsibility that she owed to the people of the state," Valentin said. "This constituted a significant breach of her duties as a public servant."
Valentin said the scheme came to light when the Trial Court Administrator's Office spotted irregularities and called the Prosecutor's Office.
Official misconduct is a second-degree crime and carries a maximum prison term of 10 years upon conviction, the Prosecutor's Office said. The theft and attempted theft are third-degree crimes, and each carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction, prosecutors said.
The New Jersey Criminal Code lists a presumption of incarceration for second-degree criminal convictions. Third-degree crimes do not carry that presumption, according to the code, and probation is generally recommended for people who are convicted of those crimes and do not have prior criminal records, prosecutors said.
Morton was fired on Dec. 14, 2007, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
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