Wall Man, Ex-Shore Regional Business Administrator, Sentenced To Probation

FREEHOLD, NJ -- A Wall Township resident who was the former business administrator of the Shore Regional High School District has been sentenced to probation for his guilty plea on charges of theft and official misconduct, the Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Friday.

Dennis Kotch, 41, of Wall, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of second-degree official misconduct, two counts of third-degree theft by unlawful taking, one count of third-degree misapplication of entrusted property, and one count of insurance fraud, prosecutor's office spokesman Charles Webster said.

A yearlong investigation revealed Kotch paid an intern to do his work and took three weeks of vacation without putting down the time off, Webster said.

"The investigation revealed Kotch unilaterally, and without Board of Education approval, hired a paid intern from January 2015 through May 2016," Webster said. The intern did much of the work -- work that was Kotch's responsibility -- remotely from Florida where she was attending college. She was paid $27,439.95 over this time period, authorities said.

Kotch also spent 22 work days out of the district, often out-of-state, without using vacation time or other leave time, authorities said.

Kotch, who was sentenced by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley, resigned as the business administrator May 13, 2016, a week after the investigation, which was requested by the school district, began, Webster said.

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