Farmingdale Woman Charged In $2.2M Theft From Employer

FARMINGDALE, NJ — A Farmingdale woman is accused of swindling her employer out of more than $2.2 million over the course of seven years, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey.

Donna Cook, 52, was charged with second-degree theft, third-degree forgery and third-degree false uttering, Linskey said.

Cook was the office manager of a Tinton Falls-based construction company.

She was accused of stealing company funds by writing herself unauthorized checks, after an investigation by the Tinton Falls Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office found.

Officials said Cook forged the signature of a company principal for the unauthorized checks, some of which were made payable to cash.

She cashed between $75,000 and $475,000 per year between 2015 and 2021 and used the money for personal expenses, Linskey said.

Cook was released on her own recognizance and will have her first court appearance on Feb. 15.

If found guilty, Cook faces up to 10 years in prison for the theft charge.

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