A Jackson Township woman who ran a Lincroft investment advisory firm has been indicted on charges she bilked clients out of $641,000.
Zina Martin, 43, was the sole owner and president of Kairos Financial, whose address is given as 331 Newman Springs Road in a press release from the office of New Jersey Attorney General Anne Millgram.
The indictment alleges Martin solicited the money from about 25 investors through marketing for six investment funds called the “Kairos Funds,” which turned out to be fictitious. She also issued monthly statements informing investors of the amounts they purportedly held in each of the funds, the state alleges.
In reality, the nvestor monies were commingled in a brokerage account of Kairos Financial. Martin allegedly used funds from that account for personal expenses, including mortgage payments, monthly living expenses and the purchase of a Cadillac Escalade, the indictment alleges.
“This defendant distributed an offering brochure and monthly investor account statements to convince clients they had invested their hard-earned money securely,” said Attorney General Milgram. “In reality, we charge that the Kairos Funds were nothing more than a ploy by Ms. Martin to steal from investors, prop up her dubious business and bankroll a lifestyle she otherwise could not afford.”
The case was investigated by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities. The indictment was handed up in state Superior Court in Mercer County, but the matter is being transferred to Ocean County for prosecution.
The Star-Ledger reported last month that Martin and Kairos had each filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The prior report said Kairos used to be known as the Whirlwind Investment Club, and had just $650 in assets versus nearly $475,000 in debts, including loans to the fund by Zina and Dion Martin totalling $305,000.
The website of Mack-Cali Realty shows 331 Newman Springs Road is an office building dubbed One River Center near Parkway exit 109 in Lincroft.
