Monmouth County accounting firm owner charged with Theft

A Middlesex County man who was allegedly cooking the books at a Monmouth County accounting firm now faces up to ten years in prison after being charged with stealing $385,000 in tax payments from a multi-million dollar wholesale distribution company based in South Carolina.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni announced Thursday that William A. Berry, 48, of South Plainfield, was charged with second degree Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition.

Berry was arrested with the assistance from the Englishtown Police Department following a 10-month investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

He is the owner of William Berry & Associates, an accounting and tax preparation business in Englishtown.

The MCPO investigation found that Berry stole funds in the aggregate amount of $385,000 for his personal use from the victims between March 2017 and July 2019.

Berry received funds from the victims personal and business banking accounts for the purposes of remitting federal and state quarterly taxes on behalf of the victims.

Instead of remitting tax payments to the proper tax collecting authorities, he took the money for himself.

The victims, who are from New Jersey, were contacted by law enforcement and they reported hiring Berry to file and remit corporate taxes for their business after their former accountant retired.

Prosecutor Gramiccioni said Berry corresponded with the victims to advise them of the amounts to be remitted to the federal and state tax collection authorities on a quarterly basis but between March 2017 through July 2019 at the direction of Berry, moved the money from their Bank of America accounts to a Wells Fargo bank account held in the name of William Berry and Associates.

The victims then received notifications from the State of South Carolina and the Internal Revenue Service for failure to file and remit taxes for the years 2017 and 2018.

The case is being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos.

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