The former general manager of a local motorcycle dealership has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from her former employer, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Friday.  

Chelsea A. Marra-Kaufmann, 36, of Toms River, has been charged with third-degree theft by taking or exercising unlawful control over property.   

A referral to the West Long Branch Police Department about the activity at the West Long Branch business initiated the investigation of Marra-Kaurmann last year. A review of the dealership’s business, payroll, and sales records revealed that Marra-Kaufmann had erroneously received additional paychecks on three separate occasions in late 2022, amounting to nearly $6,000, without authorization by the dealership’s executive leadership.

The investigation, which grew to also involve the Prosecutor’s Office’s Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit, further revealed that around this same time, Marra-Kaufmann’s $3,300 check for a personal purchase of a motorcycle was returned for insufficient funds, allegedly prompting her to hide the loss under the guise of several bank fees.

Also, in a separate 2023 sale, she never paid a roughly $18,000 deposit, then conducted a series of transfers in the accounting system to cover up the loss.

In all, the theft added up to slightly more than $27,000. Last week, Marra-Kaufmann was served the charges against her on a summons, with an initial appearance tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 10, in Monmouth County Superior Court.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

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