A detective on Long Beach Island has been charged with stealing a necklace from his police department’s evidence room, authorities said Friday.

Christopher Oldham, 32, of the Manahawkin section of Stafford, is charged with theft, tampering with evidence and filing a false police report, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

He has been suspended without pay from his $92,238 a year job with the Harvey Cedars Police Department.

Oldham was the custodian for the evidence kept by the department when the silver necklace went missing, officials said. The detective told his bosses the necklace - valued at more than $200 - was unclaimed property and had been given to borough officials to be auctioned. Prosecutors said the necklace was never turned over, though.

The alleged theft was uncovered after the police department conducted an audit.

A police officer for 10 years, Oldham is the second Harvey Cedars police officer to be charged with theft of police property this year.

Last month, former police sergeant Sean Marti pleaded guilty to theft charges, admitting he kept a donated vehicle for personal use for more than a year. He was fired from the department.

An approximately mile-square borough on Long Beach Island, with a year-round population of about 350, Harvey Cedars employs eight full-time police officers in total - the chief, a sergeant, five patrolmen and Oldham - the only detective.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman.

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