Pleading Guilty To Stealing $4M From Trucking Company

A New Jersey woman has confessed to stealing approximately $4 million from her employer, West End Express, a trucking company, to fund her gambling addiction.

Jeanette Avellan, who worked as a bookkeeper for the company, acknowledged her involvement in second-degree theft, third-degree failure to pay income taxes, and third-degree filing a fraudulent tax return. The theft took place between January 2017 and January 2023. Avellan also failed to report the stolen funds as income on her tax returns.

She is facing a recommended sentence of four years in state prison, according to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. In addition to repaying $4.03 million in restitution to her employer, Avellan owes $560,000 in back taxes and penalties. Avellan is scheduled for formal sentencing on May 9 in Monmouth County.