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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that a Monmouth County contractor and his
corporation were indicted today on a theft
charge for allegedly stealing money from
construction clients, including two churches.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Joseph Kohler, 44, Holmdel, and JenJo,
Inc., Kohler’s construction company
located in Holmdel, were charged with second-degree
theft by failure to make required disposition
of property received.
The
state grand jury indictment alleges that
between April 20, 2001 and Sept. 4, 2003,
Kohler took money for construction projects
but did not finish the projects. According
to the indictment, in April 2001, Kohler
allegedly accepted money from the Mt. Olive
Church of God located in Orange to remodel
the church. It is alleged that Kohler received
$1,417,496 of the $1,516,790 contract price,
but walked off the job and never completed
the construction work.
The indictment further alleges that in April
2003, Kohler received $166,000 to remodel
the Restored Holiness Church in Newark,
but again walked off the job and never completed
the work. It is alleged that due to Kohler’s
failure to complete the project, the church
had to pay an additional $52,522 for materials
so that church volunteers could complete
the work themselves. According to the indictment,
in April 2003, Kohler allegedly received
$60,000 of the $70,000 that was promised
to him for repairing the home of a Newark
resident, but again failed to complete the
work.
State Investigator Robert Stemmer and Deputy
Attorney General Dennis Kwasnik were assigned
to the investigation. Kwasnik presented
the case to the grand jury for the Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a maximum
punishment of 10 years in state prison and
a criminal fine of $150,000.
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