Margate Firefighter Guilty of Shoplifting from WaWa

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – A Margate City Firefighter has been convicted in municipal court of shoplifting, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.

On September 10, 2015, Ashton G. Funk, 34, of Rick Lane in Northfield, NJ, was charged and arrested on a summons complaint for shoplifting from the Wawa Store in Margate, NJ. The State alleges that, on August 17, 2015, Funk carried away several items from the Wawa Store without paying. The value of the merchandise is $7.98.

Funk was not on-duty as a Margate City firefighter or a beach patrol employee at the time of the offense.

Because the case involved a public employee, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office superceded local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of the matter.

After a trial held before Municipal Court Judge H. Robert Switzer in Egg Harbor Township Court Municipal Court on December 15, 2015, Judge Switzer found Funk guilty of the shoplifting charge.

Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor Cameshia Caldwell, who represents the State in the case, made application to the court—upon the finding of guilt—for the forfeiture of Funk’s public employment with the Margate City Fire Department and with the Margate City Beach Patrol. Assistant Prosecutor Caldwell argued that a public employee or official—whether on-duty of not—is subject to the forfeiture of current employment if convicted of an offense involving dishonesty.

Judge Switzer reserved his decision on the matter of forfeiture, to render it at a future date.

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609- 652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.