New Jersey law enforcement officials assert that a man from Newark engaged in a protracted fraud and theft scheme involving his job at a hospital.

According to authorities, the 53-year-old Newark man created a fraudulent banking account under a fictitious name. There, he deposited checks that were written out to the hospital after he altered them to the fictitious bank account name. Between 2001 and 2009, the man deposited $931,590 of hospital funds

into this fraudulent account.

When a widow sent a payment to the hospital to cover services her husband received prior to his death, red flags went up about her check according to officials. The widow called the hospital when her check was returned to her, and she noticed the hospital's name was altered to reflect the name of the fraudulent bank account's name instead. The woman's calls to the hospital amounted to an investigation leading to the Newark man's arrest.

Despite his original charges being three fraud counts, the man entered into a plea agreement where his sentence was reduced to one count of second-degree theft. The case was heard in the state Superior Court of Newark, and the man was immediately taken into custody following his sentencing.

While there are many situations in which the most sensible option to pursue the best possible outcome for a criminal suspect is to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution. But it is important to remember that a plea agreement is not your only option when facing criminal charges, you can fight for your rights in court.

Bloomfield Patch, "Newark Man Stole nearly $1 Million from St. Barnabas," Linda Federico-O'Murchu, Jan. 8, 2012