By Anne M. Amato
Connecticut Post Online (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
SEYMOUR, Conn. — Membership is up and the debt is down at the Seymour Ambulance Association, two years after three of the group’s top officers resigned following allegations of the mismanagement of thousands of dollars.
In fact, it was two years ago today that state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal released the results of his office’s investigation of what he called “serious problems” with the association’s accounting and bookkeeping.
In particular, Blumenthal’s investigation, which focused on Frank Marcucio, former EMS chief, found more than $47,900 in undocumented or questionable charges to the association’s credit cards from 1997 to 2003.
Marcucio, his wife, June, and brother, Joseph, subsequently resigned from paid jobs they held at the volunteer ambulance corps.
“The organization has stabilized since then,” said Ambulance Chief Scott Andrews, who took over the helm in the summer of 2005.
“We are growing and adding new members all the time — about one new member a month,” he said, noting there are now 52 members.
“We’re also paying down our debt and it’s under $100,000 from more than $200,000,” the amount of debt left by the Marcucios.
Seymour Ambulance filed a civil lawsuit against the Marccucios in Milford Superior Court to recoup some of the debt, Andrews said.
The matter is still in litigation, said Dominick Thomas, Seymour Ambulance attorney, who said he’s preparing to take depositions from Frank and June Marcucio.
“We’re trying to recoup whatever funds were improperly taken,” Thomas said.
He said the ambulance corps’ suit has been consolidated with similar legal action taken by Blumenthal’s office.
“Our case is also pending with a pretrial scheduled later this month and hopefully a trial date set soon,” Blumenthal said earlier this week.
Blumenthal’s investigation also found that about $27,000 of the questionable charges on the association’s credit cards were for travel, lodging and cruise expenses for Frank Marcucio, his family and other association members.
The probe also uncovered a number of unusual bills for an ambulance association, including a charge for a dating service and purchases at an adult novelties and lingerie store.
There also was a bill for $465 for an online body jewelry store called Body Jewelry by Chain Gang, which sells nipple and belly rings, nose studs and other body jewelry.
Blumenthal said Frank Marcucio initially invoked the Fifth Amendment “against providing any further materials” in the matter, but was later ordered by the court to turn over the documents.
Blumenthal said he’s also been in discussions with authorities, including the state’s attorney’s office in Milford, concerning criminal prosecution in the matter.
“We have spoken with them within the last month to urge that appropriate consideration be given to criminal action,” he said. “We have expressed our views as to what we feel is appropriate and we are hopeful that justice will be done as soon as possible.”
A Seymour police criminal investigation was requested in June 2005 by former Milford State’s Attorney Mary Galvin.
Arrest warrants were applied for in December 2005 from Galvin’s office, but the request was withdrawn the next day.
The matter is ongoing, said Lt. Robert Fox, Seymour police spokesman.
“It’s still in the process. It’s a very touchy subject,” he said, declining further comment.
Milford State’s Attorney Kevin Lawlor could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Frank and June Marcucio also are facing some personal challenges. June Marcucio filed for divorce last July, a month after her 23-year-old son, Kristopher M. Marino, was killed in a crash on Route 8 along with Jonathan M. Feeney of Oxford.
Marino was pronounced dead at the scene; Feeney died later at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Neither the Marcucios nor their attorney, Hugh Keefe, could be reached for comment.
Andrews said he’d just like to move beyond the mess left behind by the Marcucios.
“You know, every once in a while we still get questions about it,” he said.
“Sometimes things like that will just fade away and that’s what we are hoping for here,” he said. “That would be a good thing.”