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New Port Richey man pleads guilty in Humana bribery case

 
Published Jan. 24, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A former sales manager for Humana pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking more than $2 million in bribes from a South Carolina company to steer insurance brokers their way.

James Albert Wegner Jr., 48, of New Port Richey admitted to a role in a scheme to cut out other insurance brokers and steer Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans to Cutler & Associates of Columbia, S.C., in exchange for cash. A second former sales manager for Humana, Glenn Fine, has also been charged.

Fine has no listed attorney in court records. He is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 19 in federal court in Louisville.

Two other men, Cutler & Associates president Shep Cutler, 73, and a business associate, Dan McNerney, were named as participants in the plan in Wegner's plea agreement. Neither has been charged.

A message left for Shep Cutler was not immediately returned Wednesday. McNerney couldn't be reached through his Missouri-based business, Columbia Management Associates.

As part of the plea deal, Wegner will pay $100,000 in restitution and forfeit another $900,000. He's been ordered to pay $300,000 before sentencing and the remaining $600,000 in monthly payments.

"They abused their positions at Humana to profit personally at the expense of the company," Humana spokesman Tom Noland said.