Related Federal Cases
Parma Man Charged in $179,040 Mail Fraud Scheme
A hard-hitting scheme to defraud the Cleveland Clinic has landed a Parma man in hot water. Richard Zukowski, 49, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Zukowski owned and operated the David Anthony Group, Inc., a recruiting firm that maintained a contract with the Cleveland Clinic from 2008 through January 2013. The company was paid commissions based on the first year annual salary of certified registered nurse anesthetists recruited by DAG.
However, an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Zukowski conspired with an individual identified as R.B., the Institute Administrator within the Anesthesiology Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. R.B. submitted invoices for 10 individuals who were never actually recruited by DAG.
The Cleveland Clinic mailed Zukowski eight checks totaling $179,040. Zukowski then transferred only about one-third of the proceeds to R.B., who asked him to return half the money. Zukowski withdrew approximately $60,000 in cash and handed it over to R.B. in envelopes.
According to Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland office, this case is a reminder that mail fraud schemes will not be tolerated.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Kleinmann. If convicted, Zukowski’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to the case, including his prior criminal record, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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