What a scumbag.By Joe Ross | Email | Twitter

The office of Acting New Jersey Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced today the sentencing of a former Morris County financial advisor to five years in state prison for stealing $1.3 million from his parents.

What a scumbag.

But don’t take my word for it. Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi called the crime “heinous behavior” in the AG’s statement.

Hugh R. Hunsinger, Jr., 50, of the Pine Brook section of Montville, was sentenced to five years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Edward Jerejian in Bergen County, the Attorney General’s office said in a statement.

Hunsinger defrauded his parents for six years, between 2005 and 2011, while he was an employee of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, the Attorney General’s office said.

Hunsinger’s insurance producer’s license will be suspended for five years, as well. A consent judgement for $1,354,496 in favor of Hunsinger’s parents obligates him to repay the money he stole. Hunsinger pleaded guilty on August 6 to a second-degree criminal charge of theft by unlawful taking.

This is not the first time the Attorney General’s office has pursued individuals for crimes against their parents. An examination of publicly available news releases since 2005 shows theft from parents often takes the form of diverted Social Security income:

– Nov. 2008: Toms River resident Ann Selk was charged after failing to remit more than $6,000 in her mother’s Social Security and pension checks to a care facility, as required by Medicaid. No information is available on the outcome.

– Nov. 2009: Another Toms River resident, Laura Lembo, faced similar charges for stealing almost $19,000 in monies diverted from payment to a care facility.

– Mar. 2010: Camden County resident Norris Pratt was also charged with diverting his elderly mother’s income from the care facility to which Medicaid required payment.

Hunsinger is the clear king of parent theft, at least among the incidents my brief research uncovered. He stands out from the thieves above not only in the sheer amount of money he took, but the time frame, stealing for twice as long as any of them.

It’s a terrible thing to be robbed, but it must be so much worse to find out your son is the scumbag who robbed you.

