An 18-year Ocean Township police officer stole $4,200 that a woman gave him last year as security deposit on a rental property he owns in Brielle, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday night.

Cory R. Cole, 49, of Brielle, is charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of property received and two counts of forgery, authorities said. He also allegedly forged a lease and sent it the local school district, authorities said.

“We will continue to hold police officers accountable and reiterate the message that no one is above the law,” Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said in a statement.

The woman gave Cole a $4,200 security deposit on Aug. 27 to rent the Brielle home, and the lease she signed required him to hold it in a bank account until the end of the lease, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office. Assuming she did not damage the property, the full amount was to be returned to her once she moved out.

However, the woman never moved into the home as Cole kept pushing back the move-in date, authorities said. A review of Cole’s bank records showed that after depositing the money, he withdrew most of it in cash and depleted the funds within days, authorities said.

Then, in order to satisfy the Brielle School District’s residency inquiries of the woman’s children, Cole supplied the district with a forged lease stating she had moved into a different property that he owned in Brielle, authorities said. That property was being rented by someone else though, authorities said.

“It is a sad day for the Ocean Township Police Department,” Ocean Township Police Chief Steve Peters said in the prosecutor’s statement. “We are shocked, embarrassed and angered by this event. The Ocean Township Police Department is a highly professional organization and we will not let the actions of one officer overshadow the great work and dedication by the men and women of this department.”

Cole has been suspended without pay from the Ocean Township force, the prosecutor’s office said.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.