Montco dentist reportedly admits dumping medical waste in Shore

A fishing boat rocked against a dock yesterday at Dr. Thomas W. McFarland's scenic Shore home. But the Wynnewood dentist apparently has been doing more than jigging for flounder.

McFarland turned himself in to Avalon, N.J., police on Tuesday in connection with the dumping of needles, cotton swabs and other medical waste into the waterways, several news organizations reported.

That was the day when law-enforcement officials searched McFarland's Dodge Durango and Boston Whaler fishing boat at his pale yellow bungalow, neighbors in the Avalon Manor section of Middle Township, Cape May County, told the Daily News yesterday.

"I'm horrified and embarrassed by the whole thing," said John Ruggero, of Avalon Manor. "I don't know why anyone, especially someone of that stature, would do such a thing."

Montgomery County authorities assisted yesterday in the search of McFarland's home - where his dental office is also located - on Penn Road in Wynnewood, Lower Merion Township, said Kevin Steele, the county's first assistant district attorney.

Citing an affidavit of probable cause, news reports said McFarland had admitted to dumping medical needles and cotton swabs into Townsends Inlet, near Sea Isle City and Avalon.

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office, which is heading the investigation, declined to comment on reports of McFarland's involvement yesterday. A spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing. No arrest had been made as of last night.

News reports have said McFarland is being treated at a mental-health facility.

Hundreds of needles and other medical waste wreaked havoc on the Jersey shore during the last two weeks, from Brigantine in Atlantic County to Cape May.

Officials in Cape May closed beaches yesterday, after debris floated ashore.

On Wednesday in Atlantic City, more than 100 unused syringes washed ashore near the Steel Pier. All were wrapped in plastic with the caps intact, police said.

Avalon's beaches, which are just over the bridge from McFarland's home, have been hit the hardest, with four closures in a week.

Avalon Borough spokesman Scott Wahl declined to comment yesterday on McFarland's alleged involvement.

A Toyota Corolla and the Durango sat parked in McFarland's stone driveway on the Intracoastal Waterway in Avalon Manor. No one answered at the door.

Ruggero said McFarland used his boat often.

"I would say he was a recreational boater," Ruggero said.

Ruggero said McFarland was the "captain" of an unsuccessful effort several years ago to de-annex Avalon Manor from Middle Township to join nearby Avalon.

The legal maneuvers "cost everybody a lot of money," Ruggero said, and eventually made its way to New Jersey's Supreme Court, where McFarland and more than 250 residents lost.

"There was a lot of bad blood after that," Ruggero said. "Maybe he was disgruntled."

Atlantic City attorney Robert Sandman, who represented McFarland and other residents in the case, declined to comment yesterday.

Meanwhile, a man in Wynnewood who described himself as a family friend said that he had been assigned to keep reporters off the property.

Next-door neighbor Joe Heid said he has known McFarland for 30 years.

"He's my dentist," Heid said. "He's a busy man, but a great friend and a great neighbor. He's a good public servant as a dentist. We're very surprised to hear about this."

"That's him?" said a house painter two doors down, after hearing the reports about McFarland.

At 3:45 p.m. yesterday, a car from Newtech Dental Laboratories pulled around behind McFarland's large, stone house, then left within minutes.

Newtech's vice president, Seung Lee, said that the company, based in Lansdale, makes dental crowns.

Lee said the driver was likely delivering a case of crowns to McFarland's office yesterday.

"Weird," Lee said, upon hearing of the investigation. "This is really unusual."