Two employees in the pediatric neurological research department at Columbia University were arrested Wednesday (December 10) for scamming the institution out of more than $200,000. John Bzdil, the former manager of the pediatric neurosciences department at the university's Neurological Institute, and his wife, Heather Rinehart, will be presented with charges today (Dec 12) of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, a press officer from the US Attorney's office, Southern District of New York, where the couple is being prosecuted, told The Scientist. Rinehart formerly worked in the fashion marketing industry before working for Bzdil, according to the linkurl:Columbia Spectator;http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2008/12/11/couple-arrested-scheme-steal-hundreds-thousands-cu The Federal Bureau of Investigation had been investigating Bzdil and Rinehart, suspecting them of submitting bogus reimbursement forms to the university for spinal muscular atrophy studies that were never performed, totaling approximately $112,500, according to a linkurl:press release;http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/December08/bzdilrinehartarrestpr.pdf from the attorney's office. The...
The Scientist
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