Regardless of whether they want to accept responsibility or not, fight it or not, nobody should go through the criminal process without legal counsel. I'm sorry, as DD aludes, there's just too many minefields that can be stepped on. The aggregate amount of $1000 or so (anything over $500) puts it into the the realm of third degree theft in NJ. NJ doesn't classify things as misdemeanors or felonies, but third degree theft is at the level that is generally considered a felony. The range of sanctions is broad and the life long implications are severe. Forget about licenses, most employers don't want felons who stole from their employers on their sites. A local judge puts it this way "I'd rather have an applicant with a drug history than a thief. The rehab for the drug addicts is a lot better."

