Former Sunbury man sentenced for defrauding Columbia University

June 26, 2009 07:38 am

— NEW YORK (AP) — A former manager at Columbia University's Neurological Institute has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for submitting $180,000 in fake bills and expenses, including his Poconos wedding.
The judge also sentenced John Bzdil III, formerly of Sunbury, Pa., to two years of supervised release on Thursday and ordered him to pay back the money. The 35-year-old Allentown, Pa., resident had pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March.
Prosecutors say that as manager of the pediatric neuroscience department, Bzdil had signed off on payments for medical studies that were never done.
Attorney William Aronwald says Bzdil had acted out of anger because officials had brushed off his complaints that a male supervisor had sexually abused him.
Columbia declined to comment.