MILLSTONE— Atownship man and two other local men pleaded guilty April 2 to conspiring to steal more than $1.4 million through wire fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.
Daniel Tumminia, 49, along with Michael Feuer, 47, Freehold, and Dennis Mannarino, 45, Manalapan, entered their guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge JoelA. Pisano in federal court in Trenton.
The trio’s charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud come with a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and fines of either $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gains or losses resulting from the crimes.
Their sentencing is scheduled for July 9.
Tumminia, who lived in Monroe Township along with the other defendants at the time of the alleged criminal actions, was an insurance agent for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual), representing Fastener Dimensions, a manufacturer and distributor of aircraft, aerospace and military components and hardware, based in NewYork, according to court documents and statements.
From July 2004 through August 2010, the three men allegedly diverted Fastener’s employees’ life insurance premium payments and pension and profit-sharing checks into bank accounts they controlled.
Feuer, a practicing attorney from 1990 to 2001 and owner of Cypress Lawn Care, allegedly incorporated and listed himself as the registered agent and officer of Mass- Mutual Contracting Corp., a limited liability company.
The company, however, never provided any services for Fastener or any other clients; instead, court documents allege, Feuer and Tumminia created the company for the sole purpose of representing to Fastener that it was the real MassMutual.
The two men allegedly deposited $574,279 from Fastener into the phony company’s bank account.
Overall, the three men allegedly made 133 transactions, including interstate wire transfers, totaling $1,437,542 in deposits into bank accounts they controlled.
According to the documents, the funds went toward their personal expenditures, including ATM cash withdrawals, rent, groceries, and cable, utility and grocery bills.
As part of their guilty pleas, the men agreed to provide full restitution to Fastener Dimensions for losses resulting from their crimes.
Tumminia agreed to forfeit $1,198,278, Feuer agreed to forfeit $115,963, and Mannarino — owner of J&D Italian Specialty Meats, with locations in New Jersey and New York — agreed to forfeit $10,000.