A veteran Ocean Township police officer is facing theft and forgery charges after he allegedly pocketed a $4,200 security deposit from a tenant who wanted to rent a property he owned in Brielle, authorities said.
Cory R. Cole, 49, of Brielle, who has worked with the Ocean Township Police Department for 18 years, was charged Monday with third-degree theft by failure to make required disposition of property and two counts of fourth-degree forgery, according to a news release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.
Cole agreed to rent out the Brielle property to a woman and her children, and the would-be tenant paid him the $4,200 security deposit. The lease required Cole to keep the deposit in a bank account for the duration of her stay and then return the money to her if she did not damage the property, according to the news release.
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But authorities allege Cole "depleted" the money within days of receiving it and withdrew most of the funds in cash from the bank.
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Cole continually pushed back the woman's move-in date and she ultimately never moved into the property, authorities said.
Investigators also found Cole sent a forged lease agreement to the Brielle School District to allow the woman to send her children to school in the borough. The forged lease indicated that the would-be tenant had moved into a different property Cole owned in Brielle, which was already being rented by someone else, according to the news release.
Cole has been suspended without pay by the department.
“It is a sad day for the Ocean Township Police Department. We are shocked, embarrassed and angered by this event. The Ocean Township Police Department is a highly professional organization and we will not let the actions of one officer overshadow the great work and dedication by the men and women of this department,” Ocean Township Police Chief Steve Peters said in a statement.
Cole faces a possible sentence of three to five years in prison if convicted of theft. Each forgery charge carries a maximum of 18 months in prison.
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“We will continue to hold police officers accountable and reiterate the message that no one is above the law," Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni wrote in a statement.
Assistant Prosecutor Melanie Falco, director of the Professional Responsibility and Bias Crime Bureau, is handling the case for the state.
It was unclear if Cole has hired an attorney.
Authorities ask anyone with information relevant to this case or who is a victim of similar activity by Cole to contact Prosecutor's Office Detective Sgt. Ryu Washburne at 1-800-533-7443.
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Andrew Goudsward: agoudsward@gannettnj.com; 732-897-4555; @AGoudsward on Twitter.
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January 28, 2020 at 08:38AM
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Ocean Township police officer accused of stealing tenant's security deposit - Asbury Park Press
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