MJMANDALAY
01-16-2008, 10:12 PM
Illinois man charged with bilking Basking Ridge firm
Wednesday January 16, 2008, 6:26 PM
An Illinois man never took the job offered to him by a Basking Ridge telecommunications company, but he still accepted the pay -- more than $469,000, officials said today.
Anthony Armatys, 34, was charged with second-degree theft by deception for his alleged payroll theft from the corporate headquarters of Avaya, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said.
Armatys was arrested this morning at his home in Palatine, Ill., and he is awaiting extradition to New Jersey, Forrest said. Bail was set at $50,000.
The arrest followed an 11-month investigation by the Bernards Township Police Department's Detective Bureau and the Special Investigations Unit of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.
Investigators and auditors for Avaya discovered that payroll checks had been directly deposited into Armatys' account by mistake. He allegedly received, then rescinded a job offer from the company, and never worked there.
But between fall 2002 and March 2007, he was paid more than $469,000 and also withdrew $1,900 in funds from a retirement savings account into which Avaya had made contributions, authorities said.
Wednesday January 16, 2008, 6:26 PM
An Illinois man never took the job offered to him by a Basking Ridge telecommunications company, but he still accepted the pay -- more than $469,000, officials said today.
Anthony Armatys, 34, was charged with second-degree theft by deception for his alleged payroll theft from the corporate headquarters of Avaya, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said.
Armatys was arrested this morning at his home in Palatine, Ill., and he is awaiting extradition to New Jersey, Forrest said. Bail was set at $50,000.
The arrest followed an 11-month investigation by the Bernards Township Police Department's Detective Bureau and the Special Investigations Unit of the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.
Investigators and auditors for Avaya discovered that payroll checks had been directly deposited into Armatys' account by mistake. He allegedly received, then rescinded a job offer from the company, and never worked there.
But between fall 2002 and March 2007, he was paid more than $469,000 and also withdrew $1,900 in funds from a retirement savings account into which Avaya had made contributions, authorities said.