OCEAN CITY – Two people, including a City of Ocean City summer employee, were indicted Dec. 13 on charges they stole several thousand dollars in coins collected out of parking meters.
A grand jury moved to indict Christine L Fireall, 38, and Chad Randolph, 47, both of Liberty Court in Galloway, naming them in a three-count indictment, which included two second-degree counts for official misconduct and conspiracy, and one count each of third-degree theft.
According to a complaint filed Aug. 15 by the Ocean City Police Department, Fireall, was employed as a parking meter collector by the city, collecting coins deposited in city-owned parking meters. Ocean City confirmed Fireall had been employed over the last two summers, and the alleged theft took place between May 19 and Aug. 11. The complaint says Firealland Randolph, who was not a city employee, allegedly had been taking coins to a bank over a matter of months and converting the coins to currency. Fireallhad been observed during a surveillance operation handing the coins over to Randolph.
The complaints against Fireall and Randolph each say the complaining officer observed their behavior and indicated each made statements admitting to the crimes when interviewed at the police station.
The indictment says the two “knowingly did retain US currency belonging to the city of Ocean City.” The final count in the indictment was for theft in the third degree.
A second-degree crime is punishable in the state of New Jersey by 5 to 10 years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000. A third-degree crime is punishable by up to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
