He earned himself a black belt — and up to 55 years behind bars.
Two more Long Island Rail Road retirees were found guilty of profiting off the $1 billion “gravy train” scam — including a former maintenance foreman whom the feds caught red-handed training to earn his fourth-degree black-belt in jiujitsu while out on a sham disability pension for a bad back.
Fred Catalano, 53, of Nesconset and former conductor Michael Costanza, 60, of Merrick were convicted of conspiracy and fraud Thursday by a federal jury in Manhattan.
Prosecutors convinced the jury that both men swindled the system with phony injury claims, and were part of a massive network that cheated the Railroad Retirement Board.
In Catalano’s case, the key evidence against him was his 2010 black-belt training video — which was taken a year before he retired on early disability. The feds also showed the jury evidence of him participating in a jiujitsu demonstration at the Pentagon after claiming disability to retire early in May 2011 with a pension that paid him $162,000 the first 12 months.
Catalano — who is planning to appeal — alleges that jiujitsu isn’t as physically grueling as it seems.
“I never thought this could ever happen,” Catalano said after the verdict. “My MRI shows severe disc degeneration.”
“I have compressed nerves in my cervical and lumbar spine. It doesn’t make sense at all.”
Constanza claimed injuries to his neck, shoulder, knees and other body parts to begin collecting a disability pension in 2004, but he also continued working as volunteer firefighter in North Merrick.
The feds claimed he was injured fighting a fire five years after his LIRR claim, and also produced evidence showing he has also been an avid golfer since then, routinely playing at Bethpage and other tony Long Island courses.
“Michael Costanza and Fred Catalano submitted disability applications that were littered with lies — not because they were disabled, but because they wanted to retire early,” prosecutor Tatiana Martins told the jurors. “They did it out of greed.”
Costanza’s attorney, Peter Tomaso, said his client intends to appeal.
Catalano faces up to 75 years behind bars and Costanza up to 55 years.
With these convictions, all 33 who have been charged have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial.
In August, a jury found Dr. Peter Lesniewski and railroad retiree consultants Marie Baran and Joseph Rutigliano guilty of helping hundreds of LIRR employees receive sham disability payments by faking career-ending physical ailments.