NEW YORK-
A former top purchasing agent for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York was sentenced to more than six years in prison Thursday for his role in a $2 million kickback conspiracy.
Vincent J. Heintz’s wife and another man received lesser prison terms.
“It was all about greed,” U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III told the three as he sentenced them.
The judge also ordered them to pay a total of $2.25 million in restitution to the archdiocese.
He ordered Heintz, former general manager of Institutional Commodity Service Inc., the archdiocese’s central purchasing agent, to serve six years and eight months in prison. He said Heintz was the leader of a scheme that used shell companies, a fictional employee and fabricated records to fool the archdiocese for eight years.
The judge ordered Heintz’s wife, Nanette B. Melera, to serve three years and a month in prison, saying she joined the conspiracy in March 2002, six years after it began. Michael J. O’Shaughnessy was ordered to spend three years and five months in prison for his role.
Heintz, Melera and O’Shaughnessy pleaded guilty this year to conspiracy and mail fraud, admitting they conspired to defraud Institutional Commodity Service as it bought food for more than 1,000 churches, schools and other institutions.
The indictment accused the defendants of rigging purchasing to mark up the prices of items ranging from lettuce to pancakes for schools by as much as 138 percent so they could pocket the difference.
All three apologized Thursday.
“Not only have I sinned but also I have broken the law,” Heintz said.
His wife said no children were harmed by the operation of the lunch program. She said her dedication to her husband remained strong.
“I’m not divorcing this man no matter what anybody says,” she said.
From 1992 until March 2004, Heintz oversaw the service’s day-to-day operation, including purchasing, child nutrition, accounting and cafeteria departments. Melera was the food service director. O’Shaughnessy was a consultant.
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