A former Connecticut state legislator has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for stealing more than $27 million in federal Covid relief funds from the city of West Haven.
In November 2022, Michael Dimassa pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy charges related to embezzlement.
The 32-year-old deposed politician was in charge of the city's COVID-19 subsidies department and had the power to write checks without supervision.With three co-conspirators, he formed a shell company that billed the city for non-existent services.
Dimassa 'I bet anything'
This corrupt official wasted thousands of dollars at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.His lawyer, John Glash, told the court that Dimassa had a gambling problem, likening him to Adam Sandler's character in the movie Uncut Gems, whose addiction caused a "plunging spiral". It is said that
Gulash said DiMassa would bet on anything from the length of the Super Bowl national anthem to the color of Gatorade that would be played on the winning coach.
そのお金を盗んだのは私だ。それは私の責任だ」と、ディマッサは水曜日の判決に先立ち、ハートフォードの連邦判事に語った。"私の気持ちを表現する言葉を見つけるのは難しいです。恥ずかしくて、恥ずかしくて、憮然とした気分です」。Dimassa was facing up to 30 years in prison before agreeing to a plea bargain last year.As part of that deal, he testified against his co-conspirators John Bernardo and John Trasacco.
Local business owner Trasacco, 50, created $432K in fake invoices, which DiMassa paid for. Trasacco was found guilty of fraud following a jury trial and sentenced to eight years in prison in March.
DiMassa had set up Compass Investment Group with city employee Bernardo to charge $636K to the city's grants department.
wife in prison
Despite being a partner in a paper company, Bernardo only received $5 of the embezzled cash.He told the judge at the judicial hearing that he only learned how much money had been siphoned into Compass Investment when he read it in the newspaper.Bernardo was sentenced to 3 months in prison in March.
DiMassa's pregnant wife, Lauren DiMassa, was also involved. In 2020 and 2021, Dimassa submitted a $148K bogus invoice to West Haven's Youth Violence Prevention Program, which was not included in the Covid Relief Fund.He requested that the check be drawn to his wife, then known as Lauren Knox.She was sentenced to six months in prison for her role in the scheme.
liar and thief
When sentencing Dimassa, U.S. District Judge Omar Williams chose a more lenient sentence than the three to four years recommended by federal prosecutors, citing his remorse and eventual cooperation with the government. .But West Haven's Democratic Mayor Nancy Rossi didn't mind his remorse at all.
“The city had put their trust in Mr. Dimassa.” Our trust was misplaced.He is a liar, a thief, a cheater and a decadent gambler. ”
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