Posted on 11/05/2022 12:20:33 PM PDT by george76
A former Connecticut state representative pleaded guilty Tuesday in connection with the theft of more than $1.2 million in federal coronavirus relief funds from the city of West Haven, using some of the money for gambling at a casino, according to prosecutors.
Michael DiMassa, a West Haven Democrat, appeared in federal court in Hartford and pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud conspiracy. DiMassa's wife and his former business partner also pleaded guilty earlier this year, while a fourth person charged in the scheme awaits trial.
At the time of the theft, DiMassa was both a state representative and an aide to the West Haven City Council. Prosecutors alleged he used his city position, which had authority to approve the reimbursement of COVID-19 expenditures, to steal the funds - some of which he used for gambling at the Mohegan Sun Casino in eastern Connecticut.
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DiMassa resigned from both positions after his arrest last year.
No sentencing date was set for DiMassa. The sentencing guideline range for the charges he pleaded guilty to is 41 to 51 months.
DiMassa didn't answer questions as he left the courthouse Tuesday.
DiMassa's wife, Lauren DiMassa, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors said West Haven paid her nearly $148,000 for services she never provided to the city. Her sentencing is set for January.
The couple submitted fraudulent invoices to the city for coronavirus-related services including youth violence prevention, but instead they used the money for their own benefit, prosecutors said. Lauren DiMassa's lawyer has said she turned over most of the money she received from the city to her husband.
John Bernardo, Michael DiMassa's former business partner who served as a housing specialist for the city, also pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge for his role in the theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 29.
A fourth person charged in the case, business owner John Trasacco, pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors said Trasacco is linked to fraudulent invoices submitted to the city for COVID-19 related services that were never provided. His trial is slated to start on Nov. 21.
West Haven officials came under scrutiny for how they spent more than $1 million the city received in federal COVID-19 relief funds. An audit released in April indicated about 80% of the expenditures should not have been allowed.
In May, Gov. Ned Lamont approved a recommendation by a state board to place West Haven's finances under greater state oversight. The city had previously been placed under state oversight because of budget deficit problems.
West Haven, New Haven, East Haven, and Bridgeport are the most crooked towns in Connecticut.
Join the free pass club that sucks me dry.
I think I was in n Hartford for software development training back in 1994
They were refueling the plane and lightning 🌩️⚡ came while we were aboard
I had never been in a passenger jet while it was being refueled - especially with a thunderstorm ⛈️ approaching
That’s where all the needed Rat votes are printed to keep the grift going.
It was a nice little scam he had going with others.
https://www.ctpost.com/projects/2021/west-haven-city-hall-michael-dimassa/
Corruption at every level of government.
Wait for the student loan debacle. Out of curiosity I filled it out. You just check a box that says I didn’t make a certain income, no verification.
That’s no accident.
Neither was the COVID $$,the PPP programs was largely taxpayer theft, with a lot of it headed overseas.
Technically, that was Windsor Locks, the airport services the Hartford-Springfield, MA area (unless you went to Brainard, unlikely)
Please don’t forget Hartford.
You’re probably correct
This is tip of the iceberg in West Haven.
Hartford Mayor Bronin got his democrat cronies in the state legislature to slip a $450 million state taxpayer funded pay off of the city’s debt. Completely illegal under legislative rules.
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