$150,000 robbed from small Mercer County business owner in email compromise scheme

Two individuals have been charged in connection with a business email compromise scheme that defrauded a Mercer County small business owner of $150,000.

Marijane Reilly, 69, of Marietta, New York, and Glenn James Stenzel, 64, of Granbury, Texas, each face one count of second-degree theft of property lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake.

If convicted, they could face five to 10 years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000.

The case began in August 2024 when a Trenton business owner reported falling victim to a fraudulent email that redirected a wire transfer to an unauthorized account.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Task Force launched an investigation, tracing the stolen funds through financial records and forensic analysis.

Authorities determined that the money had been deposited into a Key Bank account controlled by Reilly, who then disbursed the majority of the funds to Stenzel via official checks.

Surveillance footage and banking documents confirmed Reilly’s withdrawal of the funds in New York and their subsequent transfer to Stenzel in Texas.

Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said investigators were able to recover $30,000 remaining in one of the accounts, which has been preserved pending legal proceedings.

Detective Michael Smith of the Cyber Crimes Task Force led the inquiry, executing subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to financial institutions and internet service providers.

“This case underscores the increasing threat of cyber-enabled financial crimes and the necessity of cross-jurisdictional law enforcement cooperation,” said Marbrey. “Detective Smith’s thorough investigation led to the identification and charging of suspects in what is often an anonymous crime.”

The case involved collaboration with out-of-state agencies, including the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, both of which provided critical assistance.

Authorities continue to investigate the origins of the business email compromise in an effort to identify additional suspects.

The public is reminded to report internet crimes to local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.

As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.