U.F. couple indicted for conspiracy 'Handyman' and wife charged with taking $332K from woman UPPER FREEHOLD - A Monmouth County grand jury has charged two township residents with conspiracy and theft by deception for reportedly stealing $332,545 from a 77-year-old resident. Michael J. Madden, 48, and his wife, Susan, 58, were both charged with the second degree crimes Sept. 24. The indictment also charged Mr. Madden with the fourth-degree crime of electrical contracting without a permit, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin said in a press release that the alleged crimes are "particularly troublesome" because the couple "took advantage of an elderly victim who is living on a fixed income." He continued, "The Maddens engaged in a substantial fraud against this victim for a period of nearly two years." The charges stem from an investigation the New Jersey State Police conducted that revealed the victim hired Mr. Madden in October 2004 to repair flood damage in her basement. She had contacted Madden through a "general repairs" and "handyman" advertisement in the Trenton Times, according to the Prosecutor's Office. Madden told the victim that he was licensed by the state of New Jersey to perform electrical work and asked her to pay for services with checks made payable to him and his wife, according to the Prosecutor's Office. During the summer of 2006, the victim's family contacted law enforcement agencies because Madden had not completed the work that she had written "a large number of checks" for, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The investigation revealed that from roughly October 2004 until September 2006, approximately 65 checks, payable to both Maddens, were drawn on the victim's checking accounts. The majority of the stolen funds were subsequently deposited into the Maddens' business and personal bank accounts, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The investigation also revealed that Madden performed some electrical work at the victim's home without a license from the state's Board of Electrical Contractors, according to the Prosecutor's Office. The state police arrested the Maddens Sept. 29. They are being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, in lieu of bail set by Superior Court Judge Bette E. Uhrmacher at $50,000 each, according to the Prosecutor's Office. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in state prison for each of the second-degree crimes. Mr. Madden also faces a maximum sentence of up to 18 months in state prison for the fourth-degree crime, according to the Prosecutor's Office. Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Barbara Suppa is prosecuting the case.