January 08, 2016
A hungry New Jersey firefighter who thought he could beat the system was fired from his $78,096 per year job Friday after he was convicted of stealing a breakfast sandwich and other items totaling $7.98 from a Margate convenience store in August.
Ashton Funk, 34, of Northfield, was forced to relinquish his position as a firefighter and a lifeguard after a Municipal Court Judge ruled he was subject to dismissal as a public employee committing an offense involving dishonesty, ABC News reports.
Funk was not on duty when he shoplifted the sandwich – the contents of which were not disclosed – along with a bottle of Gatorade, a pack of sunflower seeds and coffee.
Since Funk was a public employee, the investigation was taken over by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
An attorney representing Funk said his client plans to appeal the conviction. Funk did not provide a comment on his decision to steal the sandwich, but it's safe to say this ranks among the worst fires he's ever confronted.
