TOMS RIVER COUPLE INDICTED IN THEFT/TAX FRAUD CASE
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato today announced an Ocean County Grand Jury handed up an indictment on Wednesday (9-28) against Patrick A Trushell II, age 38 of Toms River on charges of 2nd Degree Theft by Deception, 3rd Degree Theft, 3rd Degree Impersonation/ID Theft, and 3rd Degree Credit Card Theft.
These charges are related to an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit of theft by deception involving Patrick Trushell II and three energy brokerage companies, The Legacy Energy Group, LLC, Keytex Energy, LLC and Connexture Energy, LLC, located in three different states that conduct business in the State of NJ. It is alleged that all three companies hired Trushell as a salesman on the premise that he was not employed by a competitor and would work exclusively for them as specified in his employment agreements. He received salaries from each of these employers who were unaware of others. He also started an energy brokerage company of his own during the time he was otherwise employed. The employers allowed him to work from home in Ocean County. Patrick Trushell II produced almost no business for these employers and utilized proprietary sales lead and customer information for his own benefit or for competitors of these employers. The salary paid by these employers is alleged to have been obtained by deception as each of the employers would not have hired him had they been aware of the true state of affairs.
Patrick Trushell II was also indicted for engaging in ID theft and credit card theft involving a business associate located in Delaware. It is alleged that this relationship resulted in Patrick Trushell obtaining two American Express credit cards representing himself as Barrett Kidner, utilizing Kidner’s personal identifying information and charging over $23,000 in unauthorized transactions in multiple towns throughout New Jersey along with charges made in over a half a dozen other states.
Additionally, as a result of a joint investigation with the NJ Division of State Taxation, Patrick and Jenna Trushell, 30, (his wife) were indicted for failure to file state income taxes for 2013 and 2015, filing of a fraudulent state income tax return for 2014 and failure to pay their state income tax for three years (2013, 2014, 2015) totaling over $13,000 due to the State of New Jersey.
Should anyone have further information regarding these individuals, please contact Sgt. Mark Malinowski at the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. 732 929-2027 x4032.
The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Photo courtesy NJ MVC
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