WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — A Virginia man pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding The Greenbrier resort by lying about having cancer.
Carmelo “Carmine” Carrozza, 57, of Charlottesville, entered a guilty plea to wire fraud, admitting that in June 2013, he told senior management that he had cancer.
Carrozza left the resort to receive “treatment,” and kept collecting his salary. Carrozza admitted that instead of spending time getting cancer treatment, he obtained a position with the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation in Aug. 2013.
He continued to receive a salary during his false cancer diagnosis and treatments from June through mid-December 2013. He received over $48,000 from the resort over the course of the scheme.
Carrozza allegedly informed employees of the resort about the supposed cancer prognosis and treatments.
Carrozza agreed to pay restitution to The Greenbrier. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 17