FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — On Feb. 9 a Monmouth County grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Carmela DiBenedetto, 27, of Manalapan, with second degree theft by deception and third-degree forgery.
The indictment follows a joint investigation that was conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Freehold Township Police Department.
According to a press release from the prosecutor’s office, the investigation revealed that DiBenedetto, while employed at the Freehold Township branch of Sun National Bank, is believed to have stolen approximately $117,677 from three victims’ accounts.
The investigation was initiated after Sun National Bank conducted an internal audit in response to a customer’s complaint about unauthorized activity in her account. From the audit, authorities determined that from February 2007 until June 2008, DiBenedetto made cash withdrawals from the customer’s accounts and that she subsequently deposited the majority of the stolen funds into her own personal savings and checking accounts.
DiBenedetto was employed by Sun National Bank from Oct. 9, 2006, until June 2, 2008. Initially, DiBenedetto was employed as a teller. DiBenedetto was promoted to head teller in April 2007. As such, her duties and responsibilities included supervising other tellers, performing bank transactions, handling special requests and investigating discrepancies in customers’ accounts.
The investigation revealed that Di- Benedetto allegedly forged the customers’ names on withdrawal slips and that she also transferred funds between the victims’ accounts in an attempt to conceal the fraud.
The account holders had not given DiBenedetto permission to withdraw money from their respective accounts, authorities said. DiBenedetto used the stolen funds for personal expenditures such as credit card payments, loan payments, rent, tanning salons and travel.
If convicted, a second-degree crime carries a maximum potential custodial sentence of up to 10 years in state prison. If convicted, a third-degree crime carries a maximum potential custodial sentence of up to five years in state prison. DiBenedetto was arrested on June 2. She remains free on her own recognizance.

