A resident of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater Township, scammed the Edison Township Public Schools Board of Education out of more than $75,000 over a two-year period, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced.
On Jan. 24, Rebecca Dean, 39, an occupational therapist who owns Tiny Tots Therapy Inc., Scotch Plains, was arrested and charged with theft for allegedly submitting falsified invoices to the board for therapeutic services which were not provided to students.
Tiny Tots Therapy, according to its website, is a leading provider of pediatric therapy services throughout New Jersey, helping children from birth to 18 years old.
Dean allegedly filtered the fraudulently obtained money into her personal and business accounts for her benefit, Carey said.
Following an investigation by Detective Sean Sullivan of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Dean was charged with one count of theft by deception in the second degree and one count of money laundering in the second degree.
During the investigation, it was determined that between September 2016 and January 2018, Dean submitted invoices to the Edison school board in excess of $75,000 for services that were not rendered to students in the school district.
Dean was processed and released following her arrest. Her initial appearance in state Superior Court, New Brunswick, is scheduled for Feb. 15. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Sullivan at 732-745-4060.