SIMSBURY MAN WHO STOLE NEARLY $2 MILLION FROM EMPLOYER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JEFFREY M. BOURKE, 33, of Simsbury, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling nearly $2,000,000 from his former employer. On October 2, 2007, BOURKE pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud and one count of filing a false tax return.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, from approximately June 2001 through August 2006, BOURKE was an employee of a major health insurer in Connecticut. BOURKE worked in the company’s East Region marketing area and had responsibilities in the areas of finance, vendor management, and operations. In September 2003, BOURKE formed, in name only, a sham company called Health Management Solutions LLC. Starting in October 2003, BOURKE used Health Management Solutions as a means to embezzle money from his employer.

As part of his employment duties, BOURKE was involved in vendor services and aware of the types of goods and/or services for which his employer contracted. BOURKE used that knowledge to create fictitious invoices that falsely represented goods and/or services provided to his employer by Health Management Solutions. BOURKE then presented the false invoices to company management for authorization. As a result, the company mailed checks totaling approximately $1,985,123 to BOURKE. BOURKE spent the money for his own personal use and enjoyment, which included, for example, the purchase and extensive renovation of a home, as well as the purchase of expensive watches, artwork and vacations.

Today, Judge Thompson ordered BOURKE to pay to his former employer restitution in the amount of $1,985,123.

BOURKE also filed false tax returns for the years 2003 through 2005 because he either failed to report the money that he had embezzled from his employer or reported some of the embezzled funds as gross receipts and then reported false expense deductions to reduce his income. As a result, BOURKE owes back taxes in the total amount of $428,260, plus penalties and interest.

BOURKE faced an advisory sentencing guidelines range of 33 to 41 months of imprisonment. Over the Government’s objection, Judge Thompson sentenced BOURKE to 18 months of imprisonment based on BOURKE’s diminished capacity and his extraordinary volunteer service.

This matter was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nora R. Dannehy.

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