A Stratford NJ school district employee was arrested after allegedly stealing supplies from his school workplace.

According to law enforcement, a Stratford police officer was on patrol when he spotted the suspect walking out of an area at the Yellin school in Stratford, New Jersey. The police officer was suspicious because it was 11:00 p.m. and the suspect was exiting a secluded storage area at the school.

When the suspect got into a van and drove away, the police officer followed him. After about 30 minutes, the officer pulled over the suspect.

A subsequent search of the suspect’s motor vehicle reportedly led police to find several stolen items, including commercial-grade floor tiles, plumbing supplies, and cleaning supplies.

The suspect is a 41-year-old male who lives in Mt. Ephraim NJ and works as a custodian for the Yellin school in Stratford, NJ. The suspect has worked in that capacity for the past six months.

Now the suspect is subject to severe criminal penalties. He has been charged with theft of government property, a crime that is classified as a fourth degree felony and that carries a potential sentence of up to 18 months in NJ State Prison.

The suspect will have to appear in Camden County Superior Court in early December.

After learning of the suspect’s arrest, Yellin school officials said that they would make a decision about the suspect’s employment status.

To learn more about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “Employee Caught Stealing School’s Property, Police Say.”