A Stratford school district worker was arrested and accused of stealing supplies from his workplace.
According to authorities, a Stratford NJ police officer was on patrol when he noticed the suspect exiting an area at the Yellin school. The officer was suspicious because it was late at night, around 11:00 p.m., and the suspect was reportedly leaving a secluded storage area at the school.
The officer followed the suspect on the road for about 30 minutes before pulling him over. A subsequent search of the suspect’s vehicle allegedly turned up numerous stolen materials. The items allegedly taken from the school included commercial-grade floor tiles, plumbing supplies, and cleaning supplies.
The suspect, a 41-year-old man from Mt. Ephraim, works as a custodian for the Yellin school. The suspect has been employed in that capacity for the last six months.
Now the suspect faces significant criminal penalties after being charged with theft of government property. Since the crime is classified as a fourth degree felony, a conviction could result in the suspect being sentenced to up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.
The suspect has a pending court date in early December in Camden County Superior Court.
After receiving word of the suspect’s arrest, the Yellin school indicated that it would make a decision about his employment status going forward.
For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Employee Caught Stealing School’s Property, Police Say.”
