A 44-year-old Ewing woman has been charged with theft by deception for allegedly pocketing monthly rent and security deposits on the part of an apartment complex in Montgomery Township from 2019 to 2022, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor and Montgomery Township Police Captain/Director Silvio Bet.
In August 2022, detectives of the Special Investigations Unit of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office were notified of a report of suspected theft by deception on the part of the property manager of the apartment complex and began an investigation, according to a press release through the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
As a result of this investigation, it was determined that for over a two-year period, Yessica Gonzalez had been renting out apartments in the complex on her own and collecting monthly rent and security deposits from tenants which she kept for herself. Gonzalez also forged the owner of the apartment complex’s name on lease documents without the owner’s consent or knowledge, according to the press release.
On Dec. 27, 2022, Gonzalez was arrested by members of the Special Investigations Unit at the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office when she surrendered to authorities without incident. She was charged with second-degree theft (over $75,000) by deception and fourth-degree forgery, according to the press release.
Gonzalez was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Special Investigations Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Montgomery Township Police Department at 908-359-3222 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app
allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos.
STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.