Thomas John Muza, 56, of Hightstown, appeared before Judge Timothy P. Lydon in Mercer County Superior Court last week. The former Triangle Club accountant, who also served for years as general manager of Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, pleaded guilty to a charge of “second-degree theft by unlawful taking.”

In pleading guilty, Mr. Muza, who was the Club’s accountant from 1993 until May 2013, admitted that between January 2008 and February 2013, he used his position to steal approximately $240,000, abusing his privilege as a signatory on the Club’s bank account.

An investigation into the Triangle Club’s finances by the law firm that serves as its counsel revealed that while being compensated for his work with an annual salary of $4,000, Mr. Muza wrote Triangle Club checks directly to himself and cashed them or deposited them into his personal bank account. The law firm contacted the Division of Criminal Justice and Mr. Muza was charged on November 27, 2013, and indicted on June 2, 2014.

The Princeton University Police Department provided assistance in the case with Detective James Lanzi handling the investigation. Deputy Attorney General Mark Kurzawa and Detective Benjamin Kukis conducted the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice Financial and Computer Crimes Bureau and presented the case to the State Grand Jury.

It was discovered that Mr. Muza had used the stolen money primarily for living expenses, including credit card debt, mortgage payments and utility bills. In addition, he wrote Triangle Club checks to make direct payments on his personal credit cards.

Mr Muza was dismissed from his position with the independent nonprofit theater troupe shortly after discrepancies and suspicious expenditures were discovered in the troupe’s financial records. As a result of the theft investigation, he was removed from his position with the McCarter Theatre.

“Instead of exhibiting the loyalty he should have felt for this celebrated musical-comedy troupe after serving as their accountant for 20 years, Muza exploited the trust he had garnered by stealing nearly a quarter of a million dollars,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “This was a shameless betrayal.”

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.

“The message here is that white collar crime does not pay,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Muza will pay back every dollar he stole, serve a state prison sentence, and carry a felony record with him the rest of his life.”

Mr. Muza is scheduled for sentencing on September 4. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that he be sentenced to three years in state prison and must pay restitution of $240,000, including $200,000 that he must pay at sentencing.

The Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free tip line (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.