TOMS RIVER — A 45-year-old boat dealer has been named in a 16-count indictment alleging he stole more than $128,000 from 14 people in fraudulent deals between June of 2006 and May of 2008.An Ocean County grand jury handed up the indictment last week charging Todd A. Grossman with 14 counts of theft and two counts of issuing bad checks.
One of the charges alleges that Grossman, a Brick resident who owns Anchor Outboards on Route 9 in Berkeley's Bayville section, stole an aggregate total of more than $75,000 from 14 victims. The amount of $75,000 represents how much must be stolen under New Jersey law for a prosecutor to seek a prison term of five to 10 years.
All of the other counts in the indictment carry maximum prison terms of five years, upon convictions.
Other counts in the indictment allege other thefts from individual victims in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $21,700. The amounts total $128,870.
According to the indictment, Grossman is alleged to have sold boats for clients without turning over the proceeds to them, and taken money from people purchasing boats without giving them valid titles to the watercraft because he never paid the purchase price to the rightful owners.
In one instance, Grossman is alleged to have used an invalid check to purchase a boat from an individual, according to the indictment.
Grossman also is alleged to have issued clients bad checks, in the amounts of $10,000 and $250.
The charges against Grossman are the result of an investigation by Berkeley Detective Peter LaRocca, undertaken after customers complained to the police, said Senior Assistant Ocean county Prosecutor Martin Anton.
Grossman was initially arrested in June and posted $5,000 bail, according to court documents. He posted another $100,000 bail in November after subsequent victims came forward.
Know who your dealing with.
I've been in this place a few times. Scary and dirty
