Bolus dad: Rap against son 'bogus'

July 30--DANVILLE -- Bob Bolus Sr. said Wednesday he won't speak to and wants nothing to do with his son Brian, but did say that the state attorney general's charges against the 43-year-old owner of Minuteman Environmental Inc. are "bogus" after family members appeared before District Judge Marvin Shrawder on numerous counts of insurance fraud.

Four members of the Bolus family -- Brian's mother, Julie; father, and brother Bob Jr. -- waived their rights to a preliminary hearing on charges they defrauded Geisinger Health Plan, Danville, out of several thousand dollars because they were added to Minuteman's insurance policy even though they didn't qualify for the group coverage.

Brian Bolus, of Furnace Road, Lewisburg, whose Minuteman company is located in the Milton Industrial Park, was indicted on numerous counts of insurance fraud two summers ago.

"I don't even acknowledge him as a son," Bob Bolus Sr. said of Brian Bolus.

"Whatever happens to Brian through all of this he deserves. I don't even know Brian."

Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced in 2013 that her office's investigation into environmental crimes allegedly committed by Minuteman also revealed multiple conspiracies among Bolus, his mother, two siblings, his father and his father's fiancée to commit insurance fraud, resulting in multiple charges.

"It's a witch hunt," Bob Bolus said Wednesday. "This is a big waste of time."

Bob Bolus Sr. and Bob Bolus Jr. waived their hearings. Bob Bolus Sr. said he already began plea agreement talks.

Brian Bolus sat at the defense table with his attorney, Joshua Lock, and attempted to convince Shrawder that Geisinger was not clear in its documents provided to Minuteman as to who was covered under the policies.

After several hours of testimony, the state attorneys simply said the distraction on what the insurance costs were or who was covered was a smoke screen because it was clearly written that only full-time employees were to be covered.

Those employed and working at least 40 hours per week would be covered. Part-time employees were not, Geisinger representatives testified.

An agent of Geisinger's fraud department testified about a chart he assembled of how many claims Bolus family members made over five years.

Bolus' legal troubles continue as he is also due back in Northumberland County Court in August for a pre-trial motion on environmental charges.

The state claims Bolus was burying contaminated materials in the ground as well as several other charges.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the FBI assisted in the investigation.

Several charges against Bolus, who was originally arraigned in Lewisburg, were bound to Montour County Court while others were dismissed.

Bolus won a motion in Union County in which he stated he wasn't charged with any crimes committed in Union County and shouldn't be appearing in Union County Court but rather in those counties in which the alleged crimes occurred.

Bolus is free on $75,000 bail while awaiting trial.

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