JACKSON – A Laurence Harbor resident has been sentenced to prison for stabbing a man during a fight that broke out while he was going door-to-door soliciting business, authorities said.
Michael Tsamas, 35, was sentenced to 20 years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) in connection with the death of Joseph Delgardio, 44, of Jackson. This sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act (NERA), meaning that Tsamas will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence before he may be considered for parole eligibility.
Tsamas was found guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter following a two-week long trial jury trial. The jury also found Tsamas guilty of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and two counts of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.
On May 26, 2022, police received a 911 call about a man lying in the roadway in a pool of blood. Officers found Delgardio with a severe wound to his neck and he was already receiving first aid CPR from Fire Department personnel
Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and Delgardio was pronounced deceased at the scene, authorities said.
Tsamas was working for a company hired by Verizon to solicit customers on a door-to-door basis. He knocked on Delgardio’s to solicit business; however, Delgardio told Tsamas he wasn’t interested and Tsamas left.
A short time later, Delgardio confronted Tsamas on the street. They began to fight, and Tsamas took a dagger from his pocket and stabbed Delgardio in the neck.
Tsamas was taken into custody without incident at the scene and thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail. Tsamas was subsequently released from the Ocean County Jail as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer applauds the outstanding efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni and Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill, who handled the case on behalf of the State. The Prosecutor likewise extends his gratitude to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their combined and collective efforts in connection with this investigation.
