United States v. Citarelli

187 F. Supp. 2d 244, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2949, 2002 WL 273150
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedFebruary 25, 2002
DocketCRIM.A. 98-225, CRIM.A. 98-485
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 187 F. Supp. 2d 244 (United States v. Citarelli) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Citarelli, 187 F. Supp. 2d 244, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2949, 2002 WL 273150 (D.N.J. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION

ORLOFSKY, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

The sentencing of Defendant, Louis J. Citarelli (“Citarelli”), presents an unusual case in that Citarelli does not challenge the Probation Department’s calculation of his Total Offense Level, Criminal History Category, or Sentencing Guideline Range. Rather, he strenuously objects to any award of restitution to the victims of his crimes. Citarelli’s objections bring into sharp focus the important goals embodied in the Victim and Witness Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 3663-64 (“VWPA”) and this Court’s obligation to achieve them whenever possible. For the reasons that follow, I am unmoved by Citarelli’s vehement contention that this Court should decline to calculate how restitution, if any, to his former spouse, a victim of his fraudulent scheme, should be calculated, because that calculation might require more extrapolation than would an award of restitution for a crime involving a theft of a sum certain. I conclude that I am compelled to order restitution here, despite any potential “complication or prolongation of the sentencing process” because of the circumstances of Citarelli’s crimes, the harm suffered by the victims of his crimes, and the purpose of an award of restitution under the VWPA.

II. BACKGROUND

On August 14, 1998, Citarelli pled guilty to Count One of a 32 Count Indictment, which charged a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, and to a Three Count Information, which charged: (1) a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666 (Bribery) in Count One; (2) a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud) in Count Two; and, (3) a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service) in Count Three. See Tr. of Plea Allocution before The Honorable Stephen M. Orlofsky, United States v. Louis J. Citarelli and Donato Marucci Criminal Nos. 98-225-01, 98-225-02, of August 14, 1998.

Citarelli and his co-conspirator, Donato Marucci (“Marucci”), were medical doctors practicing medicine as Franklin Medical Association, P.A. (“FMA”), North Jersey Pain & Rehabilitation (“North Jersey Pain”), Nutley Diagnostics (“Nutley”), and Mag-Dan Diagnostics (“Mag-Dan”). See Pre-Sentence Report (“PSR”) at ¶ 17. The relevant conduct underlying Citarelli’s *246 crimes is grouped' under two fraudulent schemes: (1) a bribery scheme involving the City of Newark Board of Education, and its payment of Workmen’s Compensation benefits; and, (2) a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, (“IRS”), the New Jersey Superior Court, and Citarelli and Marucci’s former spouses by underre-porting income on their federal tax returns and on the Case Information Statements (“CIS”) they filed with the Superior Court in their divorce proceedings. 1

A. The Workmen’s Compensation Bribery Scheme

Citarelli and Marucci were approved Workmen’s Compensation panel doctors for the City of Newark Board of Education (“Board of Education”), and, as such, were eligible to treat its employees who had been injured on the job and receive payment for those services directly from the Board of Education. Id. at ¶ 20. From August 5, 1993 through April 5, 1996, Citarelli and Marucci made 33 payments totaling $65,088.41 to Louis Monaco (“Monaco”), a Workmen’s Compensation Coordinator, in exchange for Monaco’s assistance in “steering” Workmen’s Compensation business from the Board of Education to their medical practice and for assisting them in receiving payment. Id. at ¶¶ 21, 22.

B. IRS Fraud and Divorce Fraud

In the summer of 1993, it became clear to Citarelli and Marucci that their marriages were ending. In contemplation of the impending divorce actions, they entered into an agreement with their accountant, Michael Córtese (“Córtese”), to hide portions of their income and assets from their wives. Id. at ¶ 25.

Citarelli’s wife, C.C., filed for divorce on October 5, 1993; Marucci’s wife filed for divorce on September 27, 1993. Id. at ¶¶ 27, 28. Immediately thereafter, Citar-elli and Marucci created the sham corporation, Mag-Dan, through which they tunneled earnings from their medical practice, to conceal those assets from their wives and the Superior Court. With the assistance of Córtese, Citarelli and Marucci filed false CIS’s with the Family Court which failed to disclose the existence of Mag-Dan or any of the income that had been diverted to Mag-Dan. Id. at ¶¶ 29-34. Córtese also assisted Citarelli and Marucci in filing false individual tax returns and a corporate tax return for Mag-Dan, all of which failed to portray accurately the ownership of Mag-Dan and the true net worth of Citarelli and Marucci. Id. at ¶¶35^10. In addition, Citarelli secreted $190,700 in cash and Marucci, $750,000 in cash, in their respective homes. Id. at ¶¶ 25, 65, 66.

A judgment of divorce was entered in the Citarelli divorce proceeding on November 14, 1995, pursuant to an agreement between the parties as to alimony and equitable distribution. It is important to note, however, that Citarelli’s former spouse, C.C., consummated the agreement which resolved the divorce and the Family Court approved that agreement unaware of the assets that had been diverted to and concealed in Mag-Dan. Id. at ¶¶ 41-42. A judgment of divorce in the Marucci proceeding was entered on January 17, 1996, pursuant to an agreement between Marue- *247 ci and Ms former spouse as to alimony, equitable distribution, and child support. Again, neither Marucci’s wife nor the Family Court was aware of the funds which had been diverted to and concealed in Mag-Dan when the agreement was negotiated by the parties and approved by the Court. Id, at ¶ 44. After the divorce judgments were entered, Córtese advised Citarelli and Marucci as to how and when to return the diverted funds from the sham Mag-Dan account to their personal accounts. Id. at ¶ 45. The total amount of money which Citarelli and Marucci diverted was calculated to be $1,925,039.56. Id. at ¶ 50. Citarelli avoided payment of $260,264 in personal income tax and conspired to evade corporate taxes of $206,296, for a total of $466,560 in evaded income tax. Id. at ¶ 63. Marucci is responsible for $485,674 in evaded income tax. Id. at ¶ 64.

III. DISCUSSION

A. The Sentencing Guidelines Calculation

The Probation Department has determined that the Total Offense Level for Citarelli’s crimes is 21 and that his Criminal History Category is I.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

FRANKLIN MED. v. Newark Public Sch.
828 A.2d 966 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2003)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 F. Supp. 2d 244, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2949, 2002 WL 273150, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-citarelli-njd-2002.