Office Worker Stole Nearly $3M From 2 Jersey Shore Employers: Prosecutor

A woman from Howell who was criminally charged last month with swindling a former employer out of more than $2.2 million has been additionally charged with stealing more than $67,000 from her next employer, authorities said.

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
Photo Credit: *Provided/ MCPO*

Jon Craig

02/25/2022 2:40 p.m.

Donna Cook, 52, was charged with theft by unlawful taking, forgery and false uttering, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey.

After news coverage of Cook’s January arrest circulated, her next employer, a Shrewsbury-based excavating company, reviewed its financial records – and discovered that from early November 2021 into early January 2022, Cook had allegedly written multiple checks out to cash, and an additional check made out to directly pay a personal expense, with forged signatures, Linskey said.

Cook turned herself in again to authorities on Friday, Feb. 25, after which she was released with a pending first appearance to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Friday's arrest was made a little more than a week after her scheduled first appearance in the initial case against her. That case resulted in separate charges of fheft, forgery, and false uttering in connection with Cook’s alleged actions taken over a seven-year period while at her previous employer, a Tinton Falls-based construction company, the prosecutor said.

Anyone with additional information about potentially problematic activities on the part of Cook at any of her places of employment is encouraged to contact MCPO Detective Michael Acquaviva toll-free at (800) 533-7443.

These cases are being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos.

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