WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has arrested 52-year-old West Long Branch Michael Botton, accusing him of stealing $58,000 from his deceased client’s estate.
According to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey, Botton, 52, was charged with second-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition and third-degree Failure to Make Required Disposition of Property Received.
“The charges are the result of an investigation by the MCPO Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau, initiated as the result of a referral from the Office of Attorney Ethics of the New Jersey Supreme Court. The investigation determined that Botton, whose law office was formerly located in West Long Branch, made a series of unauthorized withdrawals from his deceased client’s estate at various times from June 2014 through October 2020, using nearly $58,000 in stolen funds on personal expenses,” Linksey said in a statement today.
According to the MCPO, the investigation further determined that Botton also allegedly failed to fulfill his responsibilities as executor of the estate, specifically by cutting off contact with and failing to make required payments to the client’s goddaughter, whose share of the estate was intended to cover expenses for her to further her education overseas.
Botton surrendered himself to authorities without incident on Friday and was released pending a first appearance in Monmouth County Superior Court.