POINT PLEASANT – A Georgia woman has been charged with theft for allegedly taking funds from an attorney trust account of a Point Pleasant law office, officials said.
Donna Frustieri, 55, of Thunderbolt, Georgia, was a legal secretary at a local law firm and had access to the financial instruments used by the firm’s attorney trust account. The trust account held funds belonging to numerous clients of the law practice.
According to officials, Frustieri unlawfully issued about 139 checks from the trust account between May 2015 and June 2021 totaling over $184,000. The checks were made payable to family members and others connected to her.
As a result, the law office reimbursed all of the stolen funds to the trust account so that no clients were harmed.
On March 29, Frustieri was served with the charges via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Point Pleasant Borough Police Chief Adam Picca acknowledged the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad, Point Pleasant Borough Police Department, and Thunderbolt (Georgia) Police Department, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced are merely accusations and the public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
