Trenton, NJ – The former chief financial officer of a Burlington County-based nonprofit was sentenced to eight years in state prison after admitting to stealing more than $2.5 million from the organization she was entrusted to manage, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday.
Colleen Witten, 56, of Buena, was sentenced November 12 by Superior Court Judge Philip E. Haines and ordered to pay roughly $2.58 million in restitution, along with $185,546 in unpaid state taxes.
Her husband, Allan Witten, also 56, was previously sentenced to three years in prison for receiving stolen property tied to the same scheme.
According to prosecutors, Colleen Witten stole from the nonprofit between May 2019 and March 2024 while serving first as comptroller and later as chief financial officer. She admitted to altering company records to open an unauthorized bank account in the organization’s name, diverting money to cover personal expenses and luxury purchases.
The funds were used to pay credit card bills, renovate her home, buy multiple properties in New Jersey and Tennessee, and purchase vehicles including a Corvette Stingray, Harley Davidson motorcycle, and recreational vehicle.
State prosecutors detail years-long embezzlement scheme
Investigators said Witten laundered stolen funds through a landscaping business she co-owned with her husband, using it to conceal the source of the money. She also admitted to evading state income taxes during the same period.
Her husband pleaded guilty in June to receiving a $189,000 check issued by the nonprofit to their landscaping company, despite the business having done no work for the organization.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said the case demonstrates “an unbreakable commitment to pursue justice for victims and hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust.”
“This defendant stole funds from a non-profit that works to help adults with disabilities,” said Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton. “She now knows the true price of trying to enrich herself through crime.”
Investigators credit cooperation across agencies
The case was led by the Office of Securities Fraud and Financial Crimes Prosecutions, with assistance from the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Legal Chief Pablo Quiñones said the office “will continue to uncover and prosecute the most complex and harmful financial crimes impacting the people of our state.”
The investigation was conducted by detectives with the Division of Criminal Justice and the Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Deputy Attorneys General Jack Daily and Veronica Daddario prosecuted the case under the supervision of Quiñones and Deputy Legal Chief Brendan Stewart.
Key Points
- Former CFO Colleen Witten sentenced to eight years for stealing more than $2.5 million from a Burlington County nonprofit.
- Her husband, Allan Witten, received a three-year prison sentence for related charges.
- Witten used stolen funds for luxury purchases, home renovations, and tax evasion between 2019 and 2024.