Public officials take an oath of office to represent the public.
Paul Zoubek, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, said the indictment of Coleman was the result of an investigation by the division's Economic Crime Bureau's Major Fraud Unit. Zoubek said that information of the alleged theft of the fire district's funds was referred to the division by Hamilton Township officials. The indictment alleges that Coleman, who was named the district's treasurer in 1987, began stealing the district's funds in 1990 and continued stealing it through 1996, said Zoubek. The Attorney General said that during the time of the alleged scheme, Coleman wrote approximately 90 checks that were made payable to himself and drawn on the district bank accounts and applied the funds for personal expenditures. Zoubek said that a summons will be issued to Coleman and arrangements are being made by the Division of Criminal Justice to expedite the return of Coleman to New Jersey.