Man Charged For Billing Suit As ‘Marine Water Pumps’

Hey, they finally charged that guy from the Independence Seaport Museum. The Inquirer’s John Schiffman on former seaport head John S. Carter:

Prosecutors charged Carter yesterday with swindling the museum out of more than $1 million worth of top-shelf goods between 1997 and 2006, a time when he was paid about $300,000 a year and lived rent-free in a museum-owned townhouse in Society Hill.

Carter allegedly engaged in a brazen but clumsy effort to cloak many misdeeds, charging a $1,100 suit as “marine water pumps,” a $935 root canal operation as “boat supplies,” and $6,400 worth of gym fees as “meetings.”

Yeah, well maybe if the Seaport Museum offered its employees dental insurance this wouldn’t have happened. Or maybe the employees have to pay and Carter just didn’t opt in.

Ex-seaport museum chief charged [Inquirer]

John S. Carter’s Problems Drop Slightly To 87

The money madness at the richest of all our cultural institutions, the Independence Seaport Museum, continues today! Yesterday, the news broke that the museum was suing its former president, John S. Carter, alleging he defrauded the organization of $2.4 million.

John S. Carter’s response: “I can’t passed the bar, but I know a lil’ bit, that you can’t illegally search my shit.” Okay, okay. What he really said was, “Ask my lawyer.” And his lawyer said he is “completely stunned” by the lawsuit.

But it’s not that John S. Carter’s attorney is saying he’s totally innocent. No, the two sides were attempting to negotiate a settlement when the lawsuit was filed. Quoth Mark Cedrone:

“There’s no question that John [S.] Carter did some things he probably shouldn’t have, and we’d like to try and remedy that, but he’s not responsible for stealing $2.4 million.”

So, you know, he stole some stuff, but not $2.4 million of it, it seems. Also, it should be “Try to remedy that,” I think.

Lawsuit stuns lawyer for fired port-museum chief [Daily News]