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An Essex County accountant is facing criminal charges afterward authorities say he stole more than $1.6 million from a longtime client and two client businesses, allegedly using some of the money for personal expenses such as sports betting. New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice Office has partnered the cases on January 28.
The defendant, Michael Delia, 61, of West Orange, was charged with two counts of second-degree theft by unlawful takingone count of second-degree money laundering, and one count of second-degree failure to turn over collected taxes, state officials said.
The defendant in this case is accused of violating his trust as accountant and bookkeeper for two companies, lining his pockets at their expense and at the expense of the people of New Jersey. Business owners need to be able to trust the professionals they hire. pic.twitter.com/Mmb7DuI11D
– Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport (@NewJerseyOAG) January 28, 2026
“Our business owners should be able to trust the professionals they hire to help them run their businesses responsibly and legally,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “The defendant in this case is accused of violating his trust as accountant and bookkeeper for two companies, lining his pockets at their expense and at the expense of the people of New Jersey.
“This defendant is accused of stealing from his client, laundering the stolen money, and then diverting the collected taxes from and owed to the state of New Jersey,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “Our office will continue to prosecute white collar cases like this as the serious crimes they are.”
The Essex County accountant allegedly stole to fund sports betting and other personal expenses
According to court records and statements made in court, prosecutors say that between 2016 and August 9, 2023, Delia used her role as an accountant and bookkeeper for a local business owner to steal about $1.64 million from two client-owned companies. Authorities allege he funneled company money to personal and business bank accounts he controlled.
A financial review found that Delia allegedly used the money for personal expenses, including credit card payments, sports betting, mortgage payments, and other expenses. From January 2020 to July 2023, investigators say he also transferred $910,545 in collected sales taxes and other funds to his own accounts, money he was not authorized to use for himself.
Prosecutors further claimed that Delia wrote company checks to herself that exceeded her agreed upon salary, resulting in an additional $733,313 in stolen funds.
As the company’s accountant and bookkeeper, Delia is responsible for sending sales tax payments to the New Jersey State Treasury. Authorities said that in 2023 alone, he transferred more than $126,258 in state debt and instead transferred the money to his own business, STP Processing, which he registered in 2013.
Attorney General Davenport thanked the Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Taxation’s Office of Criminal Investigation, and the US Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General for their work on the case. Delia was arrested with the help of officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The case was handled by DCJ Deputy Attorney General Conner Ouellette.
In New Jersey, second-degree charges can carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison, along with fines of up to $150,000.
Like all criminal cases, these are mere allegations, and Delia is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Featured image: Essex County Department of Corrections
The post Essex County accountant accused of stealing $1.6M to allegedly fund sports betting habit first appeared in ReadWrite.
