Former Freehold Senior Center Director Pleads Guilty to Theft

The former director of the pleaded guilty to theft today.

According to Prosecutor Peter E. Warshaw, Arlene Golub, 70, of , admitted to keeping a $4,284 payment from an area travel agency that had arranged two vacation cruises through a Marlboro travel agency for Senior Center members.

The discovery of the crime was unveiled in a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the after a complaint was forwarded to the police department in Sept.

During the investigation, detectives discovered that as the director of the senior center, Golub organized two cruise ship excursions- one departing on March 14, 2009 and the other on May 27, 2010. Both trips were booked through a Marlboro-based travel agency. The agency agreed to give a portion of the money earned to Freehold Township for arranging this group trip through their company.

After the trips were booked, the agency gave a total of 4 checks back to the Township. Golub instructed them to make the checks out to her name.

According to a press release from the Prosecutor’s Office, Golub endorsed one of the checks for $1,528 and deposited it into the authorized Freehold Township account. The remaining three checks, totaling $6,584, were deposited by Golub into her own personal bank account.

From these proceeds, Golub paid $2,300 to a bus company that transported the seniors from Freehold to the ports where each of the ship departed. Golub, kept and used the remaining $4,284.

When Golub returned to the council on Aug. 25, 2011 to ask about planning another senior cruise, a committee member complained about not making much revenue from the previous trips. This is when Golub finally returned the $4,084 to Freehold Township, $200 less than the full amount as a result of a miscalculation by Golub.

Golub retired from her position on Sept. 16 after working for the township for 37 years.

Golub pleaded guilty to Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Property, a third-degree crime, pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, the Office will recommend that Golub receive a $5,000.00 fine, pay restitution of $200.00 to the Township of Freehold, perform 100 hours of community service and, by order of the Court, forever forfeit the right to hold public office in the State of New Jersey.

Golub entered her plea before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Thomas F. Scully, P.Cr., who is scheduled to sentence Golub on June 22, 2012.

Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey of the Office’s Special Prosecutions Bureau worked on this case. Darren Gelber, Esq. of Woodbridge represented Golub.

Golub is the wife of Freehold Township Committeeman Eugene Golub.