OCEAN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Brielle man who resigned from his police job in Ocean Township will spend three years on probation after paying two victims the money he admitted to scamming them out of.
Cory R. Cole, 51, pleaded guilty in March to three counts of theft and one count of forgery. Under the plea agreement, Cole could avoid jail time if he paid $8,400 restitution to two victims. Read More: Ex-Cop From Monmouth County Pleads Guilty To Theft Charges: Cops
Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley sentenced Cole to three years’ probation Friday.
The victims in the case said they trusted Cole because they knew he worked as a police officer, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said. Cole had a side business flipping and renting properties in Brielle.
“Sworn members of law enforcement are rightfully supposed to be held to a higher standard of conduct, not only on the job, but off – and this defendant’s actions were reflective of a troubling ease and willingness to lie, cheat, and steal from the very people who relied on him for the basic need of housing,” Linskey said. “His actions were not reflective of the overwhelming majority of responsible and dedicated police officers across the county, yet they nonetheless necessitated appropriate repercussions.”
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office discovered that Cole forged documents to secure a loan and stole money from tenants by keeping their security deposits.
Investigators found that…
