Treasurer Stole Over $56K From South Jersey Youth Football League: AG

A former treasurer for the South Jersey Elite Invitational Youth Football League has been indicted for stealing over $56,000 from the league, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said on Thursday.

Michael DiFlorio, 49, of Williamstown, was indicted on a charge of third-degree theft by deception on Wednesday.

Authorities say he stole $56,777 in league funds between July of 2014 and June of 2016.

As treasurer, DiFlorio was responsible for using the funds in the league’s bank account to pay vendors who provided goods and services to the league.

Authorities say DiFlorio applied for and received a debit card linked to that bank account without league authorization. The league conducts all its business using checks, not cash.

During that time, DiFlorio used the debit card to make more than $10,000 in cash withdrawals and purchases, all for his personal purposes, authorities said.

He is also accused of writing more than $32,000 in checks for his personal benefit made out to himself or, in one instance, to a friend.

To top it off, he is accused of stealing more than $14,000 in cash generated by the league’s 2015 championship game.

“Instead of being an honest steward and faithfully ensuring that every dollar entrusted to him was used for the benefit of local athletes, DiFlorio is alleged to have crookedly stolen league funds,” Porrino said. “He betrayed the league’s young members and set the worst possible example for them.”

“White collar crime doesn’t just hurt the bottom line, it hurts people, whether they are individuals or organizations,” Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice said. “We’re going to make sure that DiFlorio pays for his alleged crime and pays back this football league.”

The third-degree theft charge carries a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000. The charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson, who assigned the case to Gloucester County, where DiFlorio will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment.

The Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to confidentially report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities.

The public also can log on to the Division’s web page at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.

The attached image of Michael DiFlorio was provided by the Attorney General’s Office