Matawan Woman Charged In $1.4 Million Elder Theft

MATAWAN, NJ — A 55-year-old Matawan woman is one of six people indicted this week on charges that they stole more than $1.4 million from an elderly Colts Neck woman they were all caring for, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.

The victim was an elderly woman "with diminished mental capacity" who lives in Colts Neck, according to the prosecutor's office.

Police say that after the woman's husband passed away in November of 2012, her sister, Concetta Amato, 90, of Freehold and her sister's son, Vincent Amato, 57, of Lincroft, were named power of attorney. They took control of the woman's finances, due to her diminished mental capacities.

Police say that between September 2013 and July 2017, the five family members, along with Amato’s business partner, Lorrie Martin of Matawan, defrauded the older woman of the majority of her estate.

Those charged are:

• The victim's sister, Concetta Amato, 90, of Freehold
• Amato's son (the victim's nephew) Vincent Amato, 57, of Lincroft
• Lorrie Martin (Vincent Amato’s business partner), 55, of Matawan, who police say helped him
• Maria Sanzillo (the victim's niece), 59, of Staten Island
• Peter Sanzillo (her nephew), 72, of Staten Island
• Alia Alquran (the victim's great-niece), 31, a Florida resident.

All six were charged with second-degree theft, second-degree theft by failure to make required disposition, second-degree identity theft and conspiracy to commit theft in the second degree. They were indicted by a Monmouth County grand jury this week.

Colts Neck police and the Monmouth County prosecutor's office investigated this case.