Prison Time for Office Manager Convicted of Writing Unauthorized Checks

Many thieves and other white collar offenders make the mistake of thinking that the penalty for their crimes will be lighter because “nobody really got hurt” from what they did. The prisons are lined with people who adopted this line of thinking. Soon to join them is former office manager-turned-check-tamperer Coleen Gibbas. Gibbas was convicted of writing nearly $151,000 worth of unauthorized checks and has agreed to serve three years in prison as a condition of her plea agreement.

Gibbas’ punishment doesn’t end with jail time either. She was also ordered to make full restitution and will be paying more than half of the money she stole before starting her prison term. Gibbs is actually fortunate that she had the money to make such arrangements. Not everybody has $75,000 to pay all in one lump sum in case of a legal emergency. In order to minimize the financial and legal fallout of your white collar charges, it’s imperative that you speak to a qualified criminal defense attorney immediately.

In his statement to the press, Acting Attorney General John Hoffman made sure to mention how much white collar crime hurts business owners and that it will not be tolerated in the state of New Jersey. He even went so far as to say to that current and potential offenders needed to be sent a strong message to deter employee theft. Make no mistake; law enforcement is not inclined to show mercy. In a climate that is determined to prosecute white collar offenses to the fullest extent of the law, you need to have effective legal representation.

When you are facing criminal charges, having the right lawyer makes a world of difference. If you are facing criminal charges in Atlantic or Cape May counties, contact experienced criminal defense attorney John W. Tumelty to review your case.