Barnegat teachers union treasurer accused of theft
Barnegat Education Association treasurer Wayne Wedderman, 42, was arrested Friday for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 from the organization.
The treasurer of an Ocean County, N.J. teachers union was arrested Friday for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 from the organization.
Wayne Wedderman, 42, of the Barnegat Education Association, is charged with second-degree computer theft and third-degree theft, the county prosecutor's office announced in a news release.
Prosecutors said education association board members reported Oct. 21 that about $23,000 was missing from two accounts Wedderman controlled, touching off an investigation.
Detectives discovered Wedderman was writing checks out of the accounts to cover personal and family expenses, according to authorities.
He is further accused of opening a debit card and using it to make ATM cash withdrawals and point-of-sale purchases.
Wedderman, who also works as head athletic trainer for the Barnegat Township School District, was taken into custody around 6 a.m. at his home in Forked River, prosecutors said.
He was imprisoned at the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $20,000 full bail.