3 Former Employees Indicted For Stealing From Lacey Veteran Org.

LACEY, NJ — Three former employees of a Lacey-based veteran's organization have been indicted for theft after embezzling thousands of dollars from the nonprofit, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Thursday.

Vetwork assists veterans in Ocean County with various services such as obtaining employment and finding suitable housing. The organization is governed by a board of directions and was partially funded by a grant received from Ocean County.

Jesse Violante, 34, of Tuckerton, Mary Anne Dileo, 67, of Manahawkin, and Gary Mclain, 34, of Little Egg Harbor were indicted Thursday by an Ocean County grand jury on a charge of theft by unlawful taking. The trio embezzled money from Vetwork beyond their approved salaries between February 2018 and June 2019, according to Billhimer.

Violante was the director of Vetwork during the relevant time period. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing the employees of the organization and certifying all expenses, Billhimer said.Dileo was the office manager and was responsible for processing payroll, while Mclain was in charge of community outreach.

The allegation of misconduct was referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Unit after an audit commissioned by the board of directors revealed that each of these individuals received extra payroll outlays above and beyond what they were entitled to, Billhimer said.

Detectives determined that Violante, Dileo and Mclain took additional payments on certain weeks in excess of their regular payroll checks in accordance with their existing salaries. In total, Violante received five extra payments totaling $5,855, while Dileo received twenty-six duplicate payments totaling $19,588, and Mclain received five duplicate payments totaling $4,972, according to Billhimer.

The investigation revealed that these payments were not authorized by the board, nor were they included in the documents submitted to the county for purposes of obtaining funding, Billhimer said.

Violante and Dileo surrendered themselves to law enforcement and were charged on summonses, processed by Officers of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and released pending a future court appearance.

Mclain, who was originally charged on a warrant, surrendered himself to authorities and was subsequently released pursuant to New Jersey Bail Reform.

Billhimer commends the excellent work of Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Heisler who is handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crimes Unit with the assistance of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, for their very thorough investigation resulting in today’s indictment.

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