A former Columbia University scientist lost more than his job when he was busted for ripping off the school to pay for his Poconos wedding — he also lost his bride.
John Bzdil III has had “no contact whatsoever” with wife Heather Rinehart since they were arrested by the FBI shortly after their first wedding anniversary last year, his lawyer said yesterday.
“She decided she wanted out of the marriage once the arrests were made,” said the attorney, William Aronwald. Federal prosecutors dropped all charges against Rinehart last month because “she wasn’t a participant in the theft,” said her lawyer, Lawrence Hochheiser.
Bzdil, 35, yesterday pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Manhattan federal court for submitting about $180,000 worth of phony expenses while serving as manager of Columbia’s Pediatric Neurosciences Department.
The Allentown, Pa., resident used his Columbia-issued credit card to spend $25,000 on his September 2007 wedding at the Skytop Lodge in the Poconos. He also approved $40,000 in reimbursements for purchases of products from Amazon.com.
Bzdil submitted about $112,000 in bogus reimbursement requests under the guise that they were connected to the study of spinal muscular atrophy, which he falsely claimed his wife was conducting.
Rinehart, 28, said last night, “I was not involved and had no knowledge of” Bzdil’s crime.
“This has been absolute nightmare and has been extremely heartbreaking,” she said. “Part of me is glad the truth has come out.”
Bzdil’s plea deal calls for a suggested prison term of 21 to 27 months.
Aronwald, his lawyer, said he would seek leniency because Bzdil was “a guy who basically excelled at everything up until the time he got to Columbia” where “things happened.”
Aronwald declined to elaborate.