A fat-cat operator of a shady Bronx nonprofit copped a plea Thursday to diverting more than $360,000 in government funds earmarked for cancer screening so he could live large by splurging the cash on pricey overseas trips, gambling and shopping sprees.
Joseph Junkovic, 49, faces 18 to 24 months in prison and must forfeit up to $360,556 after pleading guilty in Manhattan federal court to knowingly making false statements to the state Health Department. Authorities say he billed the agency for thousands of hours he never worked.
“This guy was certainly living a lavish lifestyle, “ a source close to the case told The Post. “There were times he billed for enormous and impossible hours – more than 24 hours in a day – when he wasn’t even in the country.”
Junkovic, according to sources, splurged the taxpayer funds on top accommodations at Bally’s in Las Vegas and other vacation hot spots in places like Italy, Austria and New Orleans. The sources also said he loved to gamble like a high roller, hung out with Playboy bunnies on golf courses and even blew the money on items like a Gucci alligator belt bought in Italy.
The corpulent conman — looking in court like he never met a meal he didn’t like — also loved to stuff his face at Smith and Wollensky steakhouses, sources said.
The case against Junkovic was brought by Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bhahara and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Authorities say Junkovic’s Cancer Service Network obtained 18 government contracts totaling more than $25 million from April 2008 to September 2011 to administer screening services for low-income patients. But he directed the monies to a personal consulting company he ran out of his home, they said.
For instance, CSN in August 2010 billed the state for more than 590 hours of Junkovic’s time — even though travel and bank records show he was in Vienna, Austria from August 6 to August 30 of that year.
“This plea sends a strong message to others who might defraud the state,” DiNapoli said in a statement.
Dressed in a button-down, blue-and-white striped shirt that looked like it was going to burst, the fat cat boasted to Judge Katherine Forrest that he “helped” many poor people get screenings from 1991 until 2008 before copping to taking the government funds for himself.
“Did you know you were over-billing at the time?” the judge asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Did you know it was wrong?” Forrest followed up.
“Now I do,” a stoned-faced Junkovic responded.
Junkovic was initially charged by the feds with diverting more than $700,000. He had faced up to five years in prison.
He’ll be sentenced July 30.