Parks Employee Who Stole Chainsaws Had 17 Unregistered Guns: Bergen County Prosecutor

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Investigators who searched a Bergen County parks employee's home for a missing woodchipper and chainsaws ended up finding 17 unregistered guns as well, prosecutors said.

Charles T. Gatt, 44, of Sparta, was charged on Tuesday with theft, receiving stolen property, a weapons charge, and endangering the safety of a mintor, said the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutors said that In January 2025, the County of Bergen conducted an audit of tools and equipment used by the Bergen County Department of Parks.

They discovered that tools and equipment were missing, including chainsaws, a large woodchipper, and a 20-foot dual-axle trailer.

Prosecutors investigated and found that Gatt, a county parks worker, committed the thefts.

On Tuesday, they searched Gatt's home, vehicles, and an additional property in Sparta, they said, and found the missing equipment.

They also found 17 unregistered firearms, including a loaded handgun that was "left unsecured and exposed in the residence," prosecutors said.

Gatt was taken to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, prosecutors said.