Judge agrees – $7.98 cost firefighter two jobs
Ashton Funk lost his jobs as a Margate, New Jersey firefighter and a member of the beach patrol over a shoplifting charge. His efforts to get those jobs back have failed.
A former Margate firefighter who lost his job after stealing $7.98 of merchandise from a convenience store won’t regain his position, a court ruled Wednesday.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury Jr. turned down Ashton G. Funk’s appeal, the county prosecutor’s office said Thursday.
Funk, 34, was making about $78,000 a year when he was charged with shoplifting from Wawa on Aug. 17, 2015.
“These positions, particularly in the close-knit beach communities of our County, are held in high esteem,” DeLury wrote. “Such a person must adhere to the highest standards of conduct.”
The state had argued that while Funk was not on duty at either job at the time, a public employee “was subject to the forfeiture of current employment if convicted of an offense involving dishonesty,” according to a news release from the Atlantic County prosecutor’s office.
The state also referenced a 2014 incident in which Funk was suspected of stealing $55 from a home during a fire call but never disciplined, which the judge said was properly considered.
