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Police: Retired Fire Chief From Tenafly Swiped Artifacts From Museum To Sell On eBay

A retired Bayonne battalion chief was arrested for stealing artifacts from the Chief John T. Brennan Fire Museum and selling them online, said authorities who charged him.

Chief John T. Brennan Fire Museum in Bayonne

Chief John T. Brennan Fire Museum in Bayonne

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Paul Avery, 64 of Tenafly, was charged last Thursday with theft after an investigation found he sold several items on eBay including three helmets and a speaking trumpet, police told several media outlets.

Avery, who earns an annual pension of $130,000, worked at the museum painting and building cabinets, the New York Post reports. He worked for the department for 36 years and retired in 2017.

A fire captain who works at the museum believes Avery began swiping items in 2016.

Avery apparently played an integral role in refurbishing the museum -- formerly a firehouse -- ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2006, NJ.com reports.

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