LACEY – A former volunteer first aid member pleaded guilty to stealing donations from his squad.
Matthew Bender, 33, of Lacey Township, pled guilty to Theft on October 19, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
Bender volunteered with the Lanoka Harbor Emergency Medical Service and maintained its website. Between April 2020 and March 2021, the squad received donations and grants, police said. He had access to the squad’s Paypal account and deposited $4,700 to his own account. Investigators then tracked purchases by Bender at restaurants, pharmacies, and auto stores.
His sentencing is scheduled for December 7. The State will seek a term of probation, and will order him to repay the funds, forfeit his lifetime membership with the Lanoka Harbor Emergency Medical Service, resign from his job with the Police Department, and forfeit any current or future public office or public employment in the State of New Jersey.
Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Heisler and Assistant Prosecutor Taylor Toscano who handled the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Lacey Township Police Department, and Berkeley Township Police Department, for their collaborative efforts.
