A Union County grand jury has returned an indictment against the president of a local dental supply company accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $1 million in inventory from a product manufacturer, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Monday.
Frank C. Clavelli, 42, of Monroe Township (Middlesex County) is charged with second-degree theft by deception, second-degree misconduct by a corporate official, fourth-degree engaging in deceptive business practices, and fourth-degree forgery.
The charges marked the result of a two-year investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Unit targeting Clavelli and his company, Tristate Dental Supplies & Equipment, formerly headquartered in Cranford and currently headquartered in Monroe Township.
The investigation revealed that Clavelli had allegedly been personally fabricating fictitious invoices reporting purchases from a product manufacturer, the York, Pennsylvania-based Dentsply Sirona.
Tristate received more than $1 million in goods from Dentsply Sirona before the alleged scheme was finally uncovered.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison.