The owner of a private psychotherapy business in Cape May County was spared prison time and entered a pre-trial program after being accused of using her clients’ credit card to pay for $40,000 in services from a psychic reading app, officials said.
Ashley Crooks, 32, surrendered her therapy license earlier this year and has been admitted to pre-trial intervention, a program for first time offenders, a spokeswoman for the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Crooks, who owned Counseling by the Sea in Ocean City, stole her clients’ credit card information and paid to obtain psychic readings from an online app, according to a criminal complaint.
Crooks, of Ocean City, was charged with theft by deception and unlawful use of credit cards, authorities said.
A majority of the charges on her clients’ credit cards were reversed, the prosecutor’s office said.
Investigators learned of Crooks’ activity after a woman whose daughter was a client disputed a credit card charge for the psychic readings, according to BreakingAC.com, which first reported the news.
The psychic company then contacted the prosecutor’s office, authorities said.
Counseling By the Sea’s website and social media page have been taken down. Crooks has previously said she has expertise in “treating children, adolescents, and adults struggling with various mental health and substance use disorders.”
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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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