A Burlington County man has been charged with stealing more than $175,000 in payroll checks from an Eatontown company, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.

Edwin Montanez, 62, of Willingboro, is charged with one count of second-degree theft of moveable property.

The charge stems from an investigation by the Eatontown Police Department with assistance from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in which it was discovered Montanez stole $178,058 while employed as a supervisor at Hanro of Switzerland, with an office in Eatontown.

The investigation further revealed that from July 31, 2012 through June 15, 2018, Montanez was clocking-in employees who were not actually working at the time and then depositing those employees’ payroll checks into his personal bank account. A total of 345 separate payroll checks were deposited and credited to his account.

Montanez was served with a complaint summons last month during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. 

If convicted of second-degree theft of moveable property, he faces a sentence of five to 10 years in a New Jersey state prison. 

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