Former marina manager Denis Kelliher, 47, of Toms River, NJ, has been charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to sell several boats that did not belong to him.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, Kelliher was manager of Trenton Marine’s Toms River marina in New Jersey between 2013 and 2016, during which time he acted as a broker selling boats.
During that time, according to his indictment, he sold at least 13 boats without the knowledge of the owners and converted the proceeds from the sale to his personal use, including to pay off debts he owed to his business associates. It is alleged that Kelliher robbed the boat owners of their property valued at more than $2 million.
If convicted, Kelliher faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, $250,000 fine, and $100 special assessment. Additionally, Kelliher will be subject to restitution and/or forfeiture of money and substitute assets totaling $2,16 million.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Toms River Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.
According to NJ.com, Kelliher had been convicted of earlier crimes. Kelliher, then a car dealer in Bordentown, was sentenced to 33 months in prison in 2010 for running a multi-million-dollar bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering scheme that bilked a bank and two of his well-heeled friends.
Kelliher ran a check-kiting scheme that caused a $7.6 million in bank overdraft fees and admitted he fraudulently obtained more than $600,000 in loans from two friends to pay down those fees.
