On January 6, 2012, Jamie A. Amato, age 41 of Roselle Park, was arrested for Theft By Deception [2C:20-4(a)], Forgery [2C:21-1(a)(2)], and Uttering [2C:21-1(a)(3)] in connection with missing funds from the Robert Gordon PTA (Parent-Teacher Association). All three charges are crimes of the third degree.
The Complaint which accompanied the Arrest Report – both obtained by Roselle Park News through an OPRA (Open Public Records Act) Request – charged that Jamie Amato committed theft by deception by purposely obtaining property belonging to the Robert Gordon PTA through creating or reinforcing a false impression – specifically by taking several checks and regular cash from the PTA and PTA checking account and writing the checks to “Cash” for herself and keeping the funds totaling over $8,000.00, knowing she was not privileged to do so.
Additionally, the Complaint charged that Jamie Amato, with knowledge that she was facilitating a fraud or injure to another, made writing(s) so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize the act – specifically by endorsing other members’ signatures on several checks known to be taken without permission, cashing them to herself, and keeping the funds.
Finally, Ms. Amato was charged with uttering a writing which she knew to be forged in a manner specified by 2C:21-1(a)(1) or 2C:21-1(a)(2) – specifically by obtaining several checks from the Robert Gordon PTA, which the defendant then endorsed, and kept the money.
Research revealed that in May of 2010, Jamie A. Amato was charged in Summit (in a matter unrelated to the Robert Gordon PTA) with forgery, theft by deception, and credit card fraud. Ms. Amato could not be reached for comment in time for this article.
Jamie Amato has a scheduled first appearance at the Union County Superior Courthouse on Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at 9 a.m.