LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – A man who was accused of stealing $217,300 from his sick girlfriend in Lacey Township has pleaded guilty to theft and is facing up to five years in prison.
Police said Ross Miserendino, 56, of Lacey Township, pled guilty to stealing from his sick girlfriend while she was unable to manage her own finances and has agreed to pay her back the money he stole.
“An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad and Lacey Township Police Department revealed that beginning in 2019, the victim began to suffer from medical issues which caused her to be temporarily unable to manage her finances,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said today. “Miserendino – who was in a romantic relationship with the victim at the time – agreed to assist her by paying her bills, and was given access to her checks and bank account information for that purpose.”
According to court records, between 2019 and 2020, Miserendino signed the victim’s name without her authorization on 146 checks totaling $171,000. The majority of those checks were written out to Enrique Roldan, 43, of Jackson, while others were written directly to Miserendino. Both Roldan and Miserendino shared in the proceeds of the theft.
“Additionally, during that time period, Miserendino stole approximately $11,000 worth of personal property located at the victim’s residence in Lacey Township. Miserendino also obtained an American Express credit card in the victim’s name without her authorization, and subsequently made approximately $34,000 worth of charges on that card for his benefit,” Billhimer said.
Miserendino and Roldan were both charged with theft on June 23, 2021 and June 24, 2021 respectively; they were processed and released on a summons pending future appearances in Ocean County Superior Court. The charges against Roldan remain pending.