Man Who Stole $1.3M From Toms River Auto Dealership Sentenced

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Beachwood man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing more than $1.3 million from the car dealership where he worked by creating a fake ad agency and paying "bills" from the fake company, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Martin L. D'Amato, 40, had pleaded guilty to one count of theft in April before Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill in the case, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

D'Amato was arrested in 2022. The dealership, which has not been identified, contacted the prosecutor's office in October 2021 after it discovered its credit card costs had exceeded budgeted amounts, authorities said.

As the dealership reviewed its records it discovered D’Amato, who was in charge of digital advertising for the dealership and was authorized to hire freelance advertising and marketing companies for it, had been charging the dealership's credit card for services never rendered. Investigators later learned it had been happening from April 2019 until September 2021, authorities said.

D'Amato had created multiple limited liability companies — all of which he controlled — to create the appearance he was retaining legitimate advertising and marketing services for the dealership. He then used an online payment processing service to bill the dealership and to conceal his association with the shell companies, authorities said.

The online payment processing service then transferred the stolen proceeds to accounts controlled by D’Amato where he could then spend the money, authorities said.

In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, D'Amato is required to make restitution of $1,329,677 to the dealership, the prosecutor's office said.

D'Amato was intially held in the Ocean County Jail after his September 2022 arrest but later released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform, authorities said.