Connecticut

Obituary: James S. Johnson Jr., 94, Of Hamden

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

Obituary: James S. Johnson Jr., 94, Of Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — (From Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home): James S. Johnson Jr., 94, of Hamden, passed away peacefully at home on February 22, 2024. He and his twin Albert were born in New Haven on July 2, 1929, to James S. Johnson and Caryl C. Ellis Johnson.

Jim is survived by his wife, Kristin O. Johnson, and his children James S. Johnson, III (Marion), Elizabeth Johnson, and Douglas Johnson (Mary), his stepchildren Laura Seeley (Stuart) and James Woodbridge, his grandchildren, Melissa, Ezra, and Molly, his step-grandchildren Corey and Dexter, and six great-grandchildren and their father, Yaakov Laine. Jim is also survived by his sisters, Mary Alice Frankenberger and Joan Stone.

Jim was predeceased by his twin brother Albert Johnson.

Jim attended Worthington Hooker Grammar School, Hillhouse High School (class of 1947) and Colorado College (BA, 1953). He also served in the United States Navy.

As a young man, Jim worked in the family business, J. Johnson & Sons Clothing Store in New Haven. Later on, he worked for John Hancock Life Insurance, was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Connecticut Limousine and still later, an agent at Dow Realty.

He served on the Board of Directors of Columbus House, was Division Chairman for the United Way of Greater New Haven, was President of The New Haven Boys Club, and was a grant reviewer for New Haven Foundation. He also proudly volunteered for eight years at Yale New Haven’s Smilow Cancer Center.

Jim enjoyed sailing with Kris on his 30-foot Cape Dory cutter rig. In his later years, he was an avid nature photographer. He was also a devoted Yale University Hockey fan.

Family and friends are invited to honor Jim’s well-lived life on Monday, Feb. 26, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Whitney Center 6th Floor Common, 200 Leeder Hill Drive, in Hamden.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the New Haven Boys and Girls Club or the Connecticut Food Bank.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home here.

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Connecticut

Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

Published

15 hours ago

November 28, 2025

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Veterans serve sailors away from home for Thanksgiving

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Connecticut

1 person killed in motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook

Published

1 day ago

November 27, 2025

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1 person killed in motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook

One person is dead after a motorcycle crash in Old Saybrook early Thursday morning.

The crash happened on School House Road around 1:20 a.m.

The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the crash, according to police.

First responders performed life-saving measures on the motorcycle opertator but the person died from their injuries, police said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to contact Officer Charles Moriarty at (860) 395-3142.

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Connecticut

Former Connecticut state rep pleads guilty in Medicaid bribery scheme

Published

2 days ago

November 26, 2025

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Former Connecticut state rep pleads guilty in Medicaid bribery scheme

BRISTOL, Conn. (WFSB) – A former Connecticut state representative pleaded guilty Wednesday to paying bribes to help his fiancée avoid a state audit of her eye care practice.

Christopher Ziogas, 74, of Bristol, admitted in federal court to conspiracy, bank fraud and lying to federal agents. The former lawmaker represented Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District.

Between January and June 2020, Ziogas worked with Konstantinos Diamantis, a top official in the state’s Office of Policy and Management, court documents show. Diamantis took corrupt payments from Ziogas’s fiancée, Helen Zervas, in exchange for killing a state audit of her Medicaid billing.

Diamantis was found guilty in October on 21 federal corruption charges in a separate case involving school construction projects. He’s facing up to 20 years in prison and will be sentenced Jan. 14.

Zervas owns Family Eye Care in Bristol and knew she had been fraudulently overbilling Medicaid for medical services she didn’t provide or that weren’t needed, prosecutors said.

In January 2020, the state told Zervas it was going to audit her Medicaid billing. Zervas asked Ziogas for help, and he reached out to Diamantis.

On March 4, 2020, Ziogas paid Diamantis a $20,000 bribe. That same day, Zervas’s lawyer sent state officials a settlement offer. The next day, Zervas cut Ziogas a $25,000 check from her business to pay him back.

On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made another $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis and got reimbursed by Zervas. After Diamantis pressured other state officials, they cancelled the audit and accepted Zervas’s settlement offer on May 1, 2020, court documents say.

On May 12, 2020, Ziogas and Diamantis delivered a settlement check from Family Eye Care for nearly $600,000 to the state. Three days later, Ziogas made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.

Ziogas also committed bank fraud by writing a $5,500 check in November 2019 from a client trust account he managed, made out to Diamantis. He lied to federal agents during their investigation.

Ziogas could face up to 55 years in prison. He was released on $500,000 bond and will be sentenced Feb. 18 in Bridgeport federal court.

Zervas already pleaded guilty to related charges and is waiting to be sentenced. Diamantis is scheduled for trial Jan. 30 in Bridgeport on the Medicaid case.

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