EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP -- A municipal court judge ordered a Margate firefighter to surrender his public employment following his conviction last month for shoplifting $7.98 in items, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

The prosecutor's office handled the conviction of Ashton Funk, 34, and was also pushing for the forfeiture of his job as a firefighter and as a lifeguard, also for the city of Margate. The prosecutor's office sought Funk's removal from his $78,000-a-year firefighting job because he had been found guilty of a crime involving dishonesty, authorities have said. The prosecutor's office also took over the case because Funk is a public employee.

Funk, of Northfield, shoplifted the items from the Wawa in Margate Aug. 17 and was arrested the following month, authorities said. Funk was not on duty when the crime was committed.

Funk's attorney is appealing the conviction, The Press of Atlantic City reported. The judge, H. Robert Switzer, granted a stay of the forfeiture until a ruling is made on Funk's appeal.

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