Long Branch Low-Income Housing CFO Gets 7 Years For Theft

LONG BRANCH, NJ — The former chief financial officer of a private low-income high-rise building in Long Branch who stole nearly $2 million was sentenced to seven years in state prison, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced Tuesday.

John O’Donnell, 58, of Scotch Plains, was sentenced Friday by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill O’Malley.

O’Donnell previously pleaded guilty to first-degree Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity. He will be required to serve a minimum of half his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, and also required to pay $1.7 million in restitution.

The investigation into O’Donnell started in 2023. He was the CFO for Washington Manor, an apartment building on Ocean Blvd. for seniors and disabled people.

The company noticed an unauthorized $14,000 deduction from the property’s account, payable to O’Donnell’s life-insurance company to cover a yearly premium.

The investigation determined that from February 2009 to May 2023, O’Donnell issued approximately 400 unauthorized checks from company accounts to a construction firm he owned, totaling approximately $1.9 million. Many of these checks containing the forged signature of a Washington Manor employee.

He used the stolen funds for personal expenses such as mortgage payments, said the prosecutor. From December 2020 to May 2023, O’Donnell also used a Washington Manor credit card for unauthorized personal purchases, such as home renovations, pool services and HVAC repair, totaling in excess of $30,000.