Woman Pleads Guilty to $800,000 Fraud

The defendant admitted to stealing over $800,000 through a business email compromise scheme, but the victim recovered most of the funds.

A 63-year-old California resident, Anna Marie Bustamante, has pleaded guilty in Morris County Superior Court to charges stemming from a business email compromise that netted over $800,000 in stolen funds. Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Hanover Township Police Chief Michael Loock announced that Bustamante, of Visalia, California, admitted guilt on January 21, 2025, to Accusation 25-01-00056-A, which had charged her with second-degree Theft, but was reduced to third-degree Theft as part of the plea agreement.

Bustamante defrauded her victim of $806,727.92, although the victim was able to recover all but $5,000 of the stolen money. In exchange for Bustamante’s guilty plea, the State agreed to recommend 364 days in the Morris County Correctional Center as a condition of probation. She must also repay the outstanding $5,000 to fully compensate the victim. Sentencing before Judge Robert Hanna is scheduled for February 14, 2025.

Numerous law enforcement agencies collaborated on this investigation, including the Hanover Township Police Department, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in California, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit.