New Jersey

‘She Used Her Employer Like an Open Checkbook,' NJ Mom Embezzles $430K From Her Job, DA Says

Investigators say that Hamilton-based Torres used stolen money to pay her rent, her utilities, and her son's college tuition.

What to Know

  • A New Jersey mother is accused of embezzling more than $430,000 from her employer.
  • Officials say Yolanda Torres used the money to pay her rent, her utilities, and her son’s college tuition, among other personal expenses.
  • She is charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft, receiving stolen property, and other related offenses.

Bucks County Detectives have charged a New Jersey woman with embezzling more than $430,000 from her employer in Morrisville and issuing false checks to pay her rent, her utilities, and her son’s college tuition, among other personal expenses.

Yolanda M. Torres, 43, of Hamilton, was arraigned Tuesday morning on 10 felony counts. She is charged with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft, receiving stolen property and other related offenses.

Investigators said that almost immediately upon starting her job as a bookkeeper at Shu Dental Laboratory, Inc. in 2016, Torres began issuing unauthorized business checks to herself, her son and other groups she was associated with. These unauthorized transfers totaled $439,637.19.

Torres made another series of large transfers earlier this year and issued 188 unauthorized checks fraudulently stamped with the signature of the company’s owner, the Bucks County District Attorney’s office said. She was also accused of giving herself three unauthorized raises. She obtained an additional $6,114 through these wage increases, investigators said.

“Over a period of two years, Yolanda Torres abused her position of trust at Shu Dental Lab to turn a personal profit and conceal a pattern of theft. She used her employer like an open checkbook and ravaged the company’s finances,” First Assistant District Attorney Gregg D. Shore said.

He added that they intend to hold her accountable for her actions.

The investigation began this past July, after a client contacted Shu Dental Laboratory to report an unauthorized charge of over $1,000 on his business credit card. After being questioned about the transaction by both the company owner and his assistant, Torres resigned from the company July 13.

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