MOORESTOWN, NJ — Longtime employees at Starlite Productions, Gustavo Gomez, 42, and Donna Gomez, 59, were arrested and charged with stealing gear from the company. The theft allegedly took place from 2008 to 2014, with the total among of gear valued at close to $323,000, according to the Burlington County, NJ Prosecutor’s Office. The arrests came after an 18-month investigation.
Starlite Productions founder Dean Danowitz, who called the scale of the theft “staggering,” spoke of being saddened by the “breach of trust we placed in them,” according to a report posted Dec. 25 in the Camden, NJ Courier-Post.
The husband-and-wife team had worked, respectively, as AV inventory control manager and general manager at the company, which provides audio, video, lighting, rigging, effects, and control systems rentals and related services.
The scheme allegedly involved selling gear on online auction sites and then altering company records to hide the loss. After noticing the altered paperwork, Starlite Productions discovered company products offered for sale online for a discounted price.
The Gomezes, based in Voorhees, NJ, were arrested on Dec. 21 and released after each posted $50,000 bail. They face charges including theft by deception, computer criminal activity and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.
Prosecutors noted a total 107 online auctions for the stolen gear, representing a total value of $322,968. The items were offered for sale at close to a 50 percent discount.
Starlite Productions’ website is at www.starlite.com.
