FREEHOLD, N.J. — A Union Beach man is facing criminal charges after authorities say he stole more than 100 high-end smartphones from his employer in a scheme that totaled over $140,000, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.
Norberto O. Matias, 35, was charged with second-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit.
Matias, a business sales account manager for a telecommunications company, is accused of ordering iPhone 15s under various business client accounts and having the devices shipped to his home. None of the clients received the phones, though their accounts were charged, investigators said.
Authorities said a total of 123 phones were stolen and remain unrecovered. The devices were valued at slightly more than $141,000.
Interviews with five business clients, combined with shipping and billing records, led to the charges, which were served via summons. Matias was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to make his first appearance in Monmouth County Superior Court on Tuesday, August 26.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Costanzo. Matias is represented by attorney Keith Oliver of Marlton.
