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  Father Bob Case Prompts Lawsuit by Fired Johnson & Johnson Employee

By Tom Quigley
The Express-Times
October 9, 2008

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1223525185274210.xml&coll=3

BELVIDERE | Fraudulent fundraising practices by the former pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Washington have sparked a lawsuit filed by a former Johnson & Johnson employee who claims her work with the priest led the company to fire her.

Karina Inglin, of Milford, worked for Johnson & Johnson for nearly 23 years, rising to board administrative associate with the New Brunswick, N.J.-based firm, according to the lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Belvidere.

In July, the Rev. Robert Ascolese drew a three-year state prison sentence after a guilty plea to three counts of theft. He admitted to scams that included phony donations to gain matching grants from Johnson & Johnson's matching gift program.

"(Father) Bob explained that all was legal," the lawsuit reads.

Inglin asserts she was approached by St. Joseph's parishioner Barbara McAloon, of Washington Township, who introduced her to Ascolese.

Ascolese provided her with donations to Seton Hall University at first and then to a Barnegat, N.J.-based foundation the priest ran to help drug addicts, according to the suit.

Authorities have said the money and matching grants actually went to help save the parish's now-defunct school.

"McAloon always requested that (Inglin) filter the matching gifts form through her, prior to it being sent on to" Johnson & Johnson, the suit reads. "McAloon advised that she would forward to J& J."

Inglin never kept any of the money, and she verified the money went to the foundations via letters from Seton Hall and the Ascolese foundation, the suit reads.

Inglin asserts Johnson & Johnson fired her Jan. 4, 2007, without a severance package; she was told her actions constituted fraud, according to the lawsuit.

Inglin was also forced to resign from another firm because it did work with a division of Johnson & Johnson.

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

Named as defendants are Johnson & Johnson, Ascolese, the church, the Diocese of Metuchen and McAloon.

A Johnson & Johnson spokesman declined comment, and a spokeswoman for the diocese did not return telephone messages seeking comment. McAloon declined to comment.

Ascolese could not be reached for comment. He was admitted Oct. 1 to the state's Intensive Supervision Program and released from the Warren County jail.

Reporter Tom Quigley can be reached at 908-475-8184 or by e-mail at tquigley@express-times.com

 
 

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