Ex-School Board Member Charged in Drug Theft

Former Wyckoff Board of Education member Matthew Cole has been charged in the theft of Oxycontin pills from Miller's Pharmacy.

Cole, who resigned his seat on the school board last month, allegedly broke into the pharmacy on Nov. 29 and stole 361 pills of the highly addictive painkiller, police said. He faces burglary and theft charges, which carry the possibility of jail time, Chief Benjamin Fox said.

Cole, 42, of Fairmont Road, turned himself in to Wyckoff police today after an investigation led to a DNA test that identified the former school board member as the man who broke into Miller's after 7 p.m. that day, police said.

"It's heartbreaking that this individual was involved in this," the chief said. "Think of a pull so strong to cause you to do this right in your own community. I personally can't comprehend that," Fox said.

The Oxycontin pills were not recovered, and police do not believe they were intended for re-sale.

Sgt. Daniel Kellogg and Patrolmen Terry Murphy and Michael DeMaio had responded to a burglar alarm at the pharmacy but did not initially turn up a suspect after an area search with the help of the Bergen County Police K-9 unit and the Midland Park and Franklin Lakes authorities. However, the pharmacy's door facing Main Street was forced open, and surveillance tapes provided police with a visual on the burglar. The tapes revealed the suspect believed to be Cole heading toward storage cabinets and removing bottles of the painkiller.

The image on the surveillance tapes were released to the media, which helped provide a break in the case. 

In December, a citizen contacted the police after seeing the surveillance images, which led authorities to focus the investigation on Cole.

"It's obviously very important that someone came forward," Fox said.

A glove had been left behind at Miller's during the break-in. A court order led police to obtain a DNA sample from Cole, which was checked against DNA found on the glove. Once results were in showing a match, Detective Sgt. Joseph Soto signed complaints charging Cole with burglary and theft, Fox said.

Cole turned himself in today, when he was fingerprinted and photographed. He was released on his own recognizance.

"He has been cooperative," the chief said.

As indictable offenses, the charges will likely be heard in Superior Court, Hackensack. "Charges of this nature likely won't get sent back to Municipal Court," Fox said.

Cole was one of two members of the school board to resign last month, alongside Carl Anello. School board president Daniel Moynihan said "I had nary an inkling," of the investigation at the time of the resignation.

"I have known Matt for a long time... I knew he was having significant issues with his business," he said, in explaining that the board believed the resignation was due purely to work-related issues.

"I wish him the best."

Cole did not immediately return a call for comment.

Additionally, the citizen who tipped off police may be in line for a reward, offered by the police and Crime Stoppers. The $1,000 reward is funded by Purdue Pharma, a pharmaceutical company that operates RxPATROL, a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the pharmaceutical industry. Fox said the tipster has been referred to RxPATROL for reward consideration.

The case was investigated by Soto and Detective Michael Musto, and Wyckoff authorities had help from the Bergen County Sheriff's Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.