Matawan Man Indicted on Several Bad Check and Theft Charges

A Matawan man was indicted by a Monmouth County grand jury on charges that he wrote a number of bad checks and deceived people or businesses out of quantities of property or cash in several Monmouth County towns.

Investigators say that John Martocci, 57, knowingly wrote a bad check in Aberdeen in the amount of $3,000 to Prime LLC on or between March 6 and April 26. 

Between March 10 and April 26, Martocci allegedly used deception to obtain $55,000 worth of alcoholic beverages from a business identified in the indictment as Wine Tree and Spirits a/k/a Buy Rite in Aberdeen Township.

According to investigators, Martocci allegedly also wrote a bad check on March 12 in Middletown in the amount of $20,000. The victim of the alleged crime is identified only as "M.R." in the indictment. Around the same time, Martocci allegedly used deception to obtain $55,000 in cash from "M.R."

About two weeks later, between March 27 and April 9, Martocci is again accused of issuing a bad check, this time to "V.S." in the amount of $1,750. Between May 1 and May 12, he also allegedly deceived "B.P." out of $1,700 in cash. 

Martocci was indicted on three counts of bad checks and three counts of theft by deception.

All are third degree crimes. 

An indictment does not indicate a conviction, only that a grand jury voted that there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial.