OEM coordinator on leave

Harry Conover, the coordinator of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management, is on administrative leave after being charged with a series of offenses by the Monmouth County Pros-ecutor's Office.

According to a press release from the prosecutor's office, Conover, 58, of Neptune City, has been charged with third-degree official misconduct, third-degree tampering with public records or information, and the disorderly persons offense of theft in connection with an incident that occurred on March 13.

According to a press release, Conover was charged with offenses on March 21. He has been a county employee since about 1988.

The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management is a Division of the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

According to the prosecutor, an investigation revealed that on March 13 at about 1:30 p.m., Conover went to the Monmouth County Central Motor Pool on Center Street in Freehold Township with the privately owned vehicle of another county employee. Conover obtained about 7.8 gallons of gasoline for the vehicle.

After receiving the gasoline, Conover completed a gasoline inventory form on which he falsely represented that the gasoline had been placed in his assigned county vehicle, according to the press release.

Conover has been released on summonses. The matter is pending review by a Monmouth County Grand Jury.

Gary McTighe, the deputy director of the Monmouth County Officer of Emer-gency Management, has been designated to serve as the acting coordinator of emergency management.