TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that the former accountant for the Triangle Club of Princeton University, the historic touring musical-comedy troupe at the university, was sentenced to prison today for embezzling $240,000 from the club.
Thomas John Muza, 57, of Hightstown, N.J., was sentenced to three years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Timothy P. Lydon in Mercer County. He pleaded guilty on March 27 to a charge of second-degree theft by unlawful taking. Muza must pay restitution of $240,000. He paid $200,000 today at the sentencing hearing.
Deputy Attorney General Peter Gallagher prosecuted Muza and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau.
Muza was the accountant for the independent nonprofit theater troupe from 1993 until May 2013, when he was dismissed after discrepancies and suspicious expenditures were discovered in the troupe’s financial records. Muza also served for many years as general manager of McCarter Theatre, a not-for-profit professional theater company based on the campus of Princeton University. He was removed from that position as a result of the theft investigation.
In pleading guilty, Muza admitted that between January 2008 and February 2013, he used his position as accountant for the Triangle Club to steal roughly $240,000. Muza, who was paid an annual salary of $4,000, was a signatory on the club’s bank account. The investigation revealed that he stole much of the money by writing Triangle Club checks directly to himself and cashing them or depositing them into his personal bank account. He used the money primarily to pay his living expenses, including credit card debt, mortgage payments and utility bills. In addition, Muza wrote Triangle Club checks to make direct payments on his personal credit cards. Muza was initially charged by the Division of Criminal Justice on Nov. 27, 2013, and was indicted on June 2, 2014. The case was referred to the Division of Criminal Justice by the law firm that serves as counsel for the Triangle Club, which conducted an initial investigation of the thefts. The Princeton University Police Department also provided assistance.
“Muza corruptly repaid the trust of the members of this illustrious musical-comedy troupe by stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars from them,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “What’s more, this was not a one-time lapse; he had his hand in the till over and over again in the course of five years.”
“With this prison sentence we send a strong deterrent message that white collar crime does not pay,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Muza must pay back every dollar he stole from the Triangle Club, and he will always bear the stigma of being a convicted felon.”
The Princeton Triangle Club, which was founded in 1891, has had a number of famous members through the years, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jimmy Stewart, José Ferrer and Brooke Shields.
Deputy Attorney General Mark Kurzawa and Detective Benjamin Kukis conducted the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial & Computer Crimes Bureau and presented the case to the state grand jury. Detective James Lanzi handled the investigation for the Princeton University Police Department.
Acting Attorney General Hoffman and Director Honig noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free tip line 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice webpage at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the tip line or webpage will remain confidential.
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