Town worker admits $940K insurance fraud through her brother's practice
Updated on October 24, 2017
BRICK, NJ -- The daughter of a former Brick Township mayor admitted to submitting nearly $1 million in fake insurance claims for chiropractic services from her brother, who leaped to his death with his wife from a Manhattan building this summer.
Kim Bogan, a 30-year employee of Brick Township, pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Ocean County on Tuesday to a single count of theft by deception, admitting she stole $941,354 from the town by submitting false chiropractic claims over seven years, the state Attorney General's Office said.
Bogan, 52, admitted she submitted claims for chiropractic services from her brother, Glenn Scarpelli, between January 2011 and August 2017, but had never actually received those services, Brick Mayor John Ducey said.
Scarpelli and Bogan are the children of former Brick mayor Joseph Scarpelli, who was sentenced in 2007 to 18 months in federal prison and fined $5,000 for taking bribes in exchange for helping a developer gain approval for construction projects.
Glenn Scarpelli and his wife Patricia Colant in July jumped from the ninth floor of a Madison Avenue building in New York City where Scarpelli had his chiropractic office.
The New York Post at the time reported sources described the couple as deeply in debt.
Ducey said the theft came to light in August when township administrator Joanne Bergin noticed during a review that one employee had an "unusual" amount of claims for chiropractic services from a provider in New York City.
After discovering the activity, township officials notified Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield - the administrator of its program - and fired Bogan, Ducey said. Hired in 1987, Bogan worked in various positions for the township and was most recently in the building department.
Because the township is self-insured, it conducts reviews of claims every six months to anticipate future insurance expenses, the mayor said.
Bogan is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 2, when prosecutors will recommend she serve a five-year prison term, according to Attorney General Christopher Porrino. She will be required to pay the money back to the township, he said.
"The defendant allowed the practitioner to submit claims in her name for services never rendered, and endorsed the insurance checks when they were mailed to her, knowing the money was stolen," Porrino said. "What's even more disturbing is that she went along with the scheme knowing that the taxpayers of Brick Township - her friends and neighbors -would be responsible for picking up the tab for the bogus claims."
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He may be angry, hurt and filled with more questions than answers — but it doesn’t take away his love.
The son of the financially strapped couple who jumped to their deaths in Manhattan last week admitted Thursday he was “angry” at them for ending their lives, though he will remember them fondly.
“Mama and papa, I want you to know that I am angry,” Joseph Scarpelli, 19, said of Patricia Colant and Glenn Scarpelli at The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on the Upper East Side.
Couple who jumped to death advised son on coping with loss
“But my anger will never be greater than my unconditional love for you both.”
The somber ceremony began with a tearful rendition of “Amazing Grace” as grieving attendees dabbed their eyes and sang through their tears, some choking out loud sobs.
The church was packed with family members, friends, colleagues, patients and many others who were touched by the couple, who ran a chiropractors office on Madison Avenue for years.
“Last Friday, two of Gods disciples, caring, generous servants, [left us],” Joseph said to the crowd of mourners with his older sister Isabella, 20, standing next to him.
“They made a mistake but that decision [doesn’t undermine] the son or the daughter, the brother or the sister, the uncle or the aunt, the footballer or the beautiful artist, the mother and father [they were].”
The couple committed suicide Friday around 5:45 a.m. from the ninth floor of the Madison Avenue building where they both worked. They blamed it on a “financial spiral” in a grim note entitled, “WE HAD A WONDERFUL LIFE.”
Joseph spoke first of his mother, who he called a “selfless volunteer” and “strong woman.”
“My mommy, my mommy, my beautiful mommy,” the teen said, gripping the podium and raising his voice.
“The most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life.
“Patricia was a creator at heart. She made a business, drawings, paintings, watches, clothing, all beautiful, but none as beautiful as my sister, Bella,” Joseph said warmly, putting an arm around his sister.
He spoke of his father next, referring to him as “my pops” and “my old man.”
“He was a bull on the outside but a teddy bear on the inside,” Joseph said, drawing wet smiles from the crowd.
He talked about his father’s capacity to heal the sick and the incredible work he did as a chiropractor and volunteer.
“God’s grace transferred through his hands,” the heartbroken son said.
He spoke directly to his parents as if they were there in the room with him, listening to his words.
“You two were the greatest parents a son could ask for, we had the perfect family, we were so close.
“You gave me the best 19 years of my life.”
Throughout the eulogy, Joseph remained strong and upbeat and did not breakdown once, even while mentioning how terrible his parent’s loss of life is.
“I want everyone to know that this is a tragedy, I assure, but it is not as much as a tragedy as a tragic loss.”
He concluded the ceremony with the same quote he told his classmates at Loyola High School in a morning assembly speech in March 2016 on his parent’s advice for coping with loss.
“My parents told me over and over again, I could wake up tomorrow and have every single possession taken from me, I could stand to lose everyone I love, but no one could ever take away my faith,” Jospeh recited.
“I love you mama, I love you papa. Thank you.”
For us, no tears for corrupt thugs.