Two more former LIRR workers cop to disability pension scam








They're hopping off the gravy train.

Two more LIRR retirees pleaded guilty today to scamming disability pensions -- and promised to pay back all the money they stole by faking career-killing injuries.

Former conductor James Reiser, 59, also cut a deal to cooperate with the feds in a bid to stay out of the slammer, admitting in court that he schemed with an indicted orthopedist to create phony paperwork that claimed he was unable to continue working.

Reiser -- who came to Manhattan federal court sporting a tie emblazoned with a cartoon train -- pretended that he suffered from back and neck pain that made it hard for him to sit, stand, walk, bathe or even dress himself.




But the feds say that after his 2006 retirement, Reiser, who now lives in Florida, played basketball daily and worked as a referee, and was spotted playing golf and carrying bags of groceries up the stairs to his home.

Reiser, who pocketed more than $225,000 in bogus benefits, declined to comment afterward, but his lawyer said Reiser "would love to go back in time" and uncouple himself from the massive, $1 billion fraud scheme.

Co-defendant Philip Pulsonetti, who isn't turning rat, agreed to spend up to 30 months behind bars for swindling more than $175,000 from the Railroad Retirement Board.

Both he and his lawyer declined to comment.

Yesterday's guilty pleas brought to eight the number of crooks who have pleaded guilty in the widespread scam, in which more than 1,500 LIRR retirees are suspected of taking part.

During his court appearance, Reiser implicated Dr. Peter Ajemian, one of three doctors the feds have said helped perpetrate the scam by taking payoffs to falsely verify retirees' purported ailments.

Ajemian's lawyer, Tom Engel, said Ajemian maintained his innocence, noting that he only reported "what he was told by his patient."

bruce.golding@nypost.com










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Two more former LIRR workers cop to disability pension scam