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Charles T. Gatt, 44, of Sparta, was arrested on Feb. 11, following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad, Prosecutor Mark Musella announced.
The probe began in January after an audit revealed that multiple pieces of equipment were missing from the Bergen County Department of Parks. Investigators say Gatt, a former county employee, was behind the thefts.
Gatt eventually stopped reporting to work after stealing a Towmaster Trailer, Bandit Woodchipper, Stihl 25” Chainsaw, Stihl 20” Chainsaw, and his county-issued cellphone, according to the criminal complaint.
Detectives executed search warrants at Gatt’s home, several vehicles, and another property in Sparta, recovering stolen county tools and equipment, authorities said. Police also discovered 17 unregistered firearms in his residence, including a loaded handgun that was left unsecured and exposed.
Gatt was charged with second-degree theft, second-degree receiving stolen property, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree possession of a firearm by a certain person, authorities said. He was booked into the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance in Hackensack.
The investigation was conducted with assistance from police departments in Hasbrouck Heights, Paramus, Saddle River, Tenafly, Upper Saddle River, and Sparta.
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