Morris Prosecutor: Home Health Aid Indicted on Charges Related to Elderly Victims

Published on October 09, 2019

Theft and Forgery-Related Charges -- Police Seeking Defendant

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, Acting Chief of Investigations Christoph Kimker, and Rockaway Township Police Chief Martin McParland, Jr. announce the indictment of Rosemarie Antoine, 61, of Newark, on Theft and Forgery related charges.

In 2015, the 88-year-old victim hired Antoine as a home health aide to assist with the in-home care of his wife in Rockaway Township.

Antoine's employment continued until September of 2018, when the victim discovered that Antoine had deposited checks, all bearing the victim's forged signatures, into her personal bank account.

The forged checks, totaling $9,833, were deposited by Antoine from March 29, 2018, to September 10, 2018 into her personal bank account.

The defendant has been indicted on the following offenses:

• 1 count of Theft, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-3a, a crime of the Third degree;
• 14 counts of Forgery, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:21-1a(3), all crimes of the Third degree;

A search of the Office of the Attorney General's Consumer Affairs Division indicates that Antoine's home health aide license is currently inactive.

The defendant remains at large and law enforcement asks any member of the public who is aware of her present location to report it to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office at (973) 285-6200.

Prosecutor Knapp would like to thank the Morris County Prosecutor's Office Specialized Crimes Division, Crimes Against the Retired and Elderly (CARE) Unit, and Rockaway Township Police Department, whose efforts contributed to the investigation of this case.

Inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to pressinquiry@co.morris.nj.us.