$5 billion in potential COVID aid fraud: Watchdog
Marc Thiessen and Ari Fleischer weigh in on the distribution of COVID aid following a recent watchdog report on 'The Story.'
Former Connecticut state Rep. Michael DiMassa is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on Wednesday concerning the theft of more than $1.2 million from the city of West Haven.
DiMassa, 32, a West Haven Democrat, pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud conspiracy with most of the funds being taken fraudulently from federal coronavirus-related aid to fuel a gambling addiction, according to court documents. At the time, he admitted he and others wrote invoices for the city of West Haven for fraudulent legal, lobbying and consulting services. These services were never provided.
DiMassa’s lawyer John Gulash said in a court filing that his client lacked "impulse control" as he suffered from a gambling addiction.
"Mr. DiMassa suffered from a debilitating gambling addiction at the time of the offense and his essentially unfettered access to a deep pool of federal funds and total lack of impulse control facilitated his precipitous downward spiral," he wrote.
US SENT BILLIONS IN COVID AID TO HOSPITALS THAT DIDN’T NEED IT: REPORT
Former state Rep. Michael DiMassa, left, arrives at U.S. District Court in Hartford, Conn., with his attorney John Gulash, Nov. 1, 2022. (Jessica Hill/Hartford Courant via AP)
DiMassa, who was both a state representative and an aide to the West Haven City Council at the time of the thefts, has asked Judge Omar Williams for leniency in the sentencing. He faces more than four years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
Much of the gambling happened at the Mohegan Sun casino in eastern Connecticut, his attorney said.
The theft began in mid-2020 when serving on the city council, he had the authority to approve coronavirus-related reimbursements.
DiMassa and a business partner, John Bernardo, also a former West Haven city employee, stole nearly $637,000, prosecutors said.
Bernardo previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison in March.
Separately, DiMassa and another business owner, John Trasacco, conspired to net nearly $432,000 in COVID-19 aid. The duo coordinated fraudulent invoices from Trasacco’s companies to the city.
Trasacco was convicted of fraud and was sentenced to eight years in prison in March.
A third scheme involved DiMassa and his wife, Lauren DiMassa.
OVER $700 MILLION IN COVID AID FOR US SCHOOLS NEVER MADE IT TO THE CLASSROOM: STUDY
The couple stole nearly $148,000, authorities said, by submitting phony requests for payments by the city.
They documented that the payments were intended for a youth violence prevention program.
Lauren DiMassa pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced in March to six months in prison.
Federal prosecutors have sought a lengthier prison sentence for Michael DiMassa and have asked for more than $1 million in restitution paid by him to West Haven.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"The defendant was a public official elected to serve his constituents. Instead, he completely betrayed that trust by stealing public funds for his own benefit," prosecutors wrote, sentencing documents show.
DiMassa was arrested in 2021. He subsequently resigned from the Legislature and the West Haven city council.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
