Police: Lacey Man Defrauded Dead Resident

A Forked River man was arrested after Lacey Police completed an investigation into a fraud perpetrated against the estate of a 45-year-old female, who passed away in March 2012, police said.

James Okane, Jr., 45, was arrested after police completed an investigation beginning on June 16. Okane was an acquaintance of the victim, police said.

Okane is alleged to have withdrawn more than $12,500 from the victim’s bank account. He accessed the account via ATM, police said. Unauthorized withdrawals occurred over a six-week period.

He is also alleged to have forged the victim’s name on the title to a vehicle that was registered in her name. He presented the forged title to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, police said. The vehicle was fraudulently re-titled into Okane’s name.

Okane was charged with theft of moveable property, tampering with public records with intent to defraud, computer criminal activity with intent to defraud, utter a forged government document and motor vehicle title fraud.

The executor of the victim’s estate originally reported the fraud to the police department, police said.

Warrants were issued for his arrest on July 26 and Beachwood Police arrested him on July 27. Okane was sent to the Ocean County Jail on $65,000 bail.