Hanover Township, NJ – Anna Marie Bustamante, a 63-year-old woman from Visalia, California, was arrested in connection with a significant fraud case that defrauded a Hanover Township business of more than $806,000. The arrest followed an extensive investigation led by Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Hanover Township Police Chief Michael Loock.
Bustamante is accused of orchestrating a business email compromise scam on July 27, 2023. Posing as a legitimate vendor, she allegedly tricked the victim into transferring $806,727.92 to a fraudulent bank account, designed to resemble that of the real vendor. The fraud was discovered on August 3, 2023, prompting the victim to report the incident to the Hanover Township Police Department.
Bustamante has been charged with second-degree theft under New Jersey law (N.J.S. 2C:20-3a). She is currently being held at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in California, where she is awaiting extradition to New Jersey for future court proceedings.
The investigation was carried out by the Hanover Township Police Department, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation remains ongoing, but authorities have not released further details about the victim.
