A former worker of the Metropolis of West Haven, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 13 months in jail for stealing greater than $1.2 million in federal Covid aid in a conspiracy involving former state Rep. Michael DiMasa. rice area. Prosecutors say Di Massa blew 1000’s of {dollars} in stolen funds on the Mohegan Solar On line casino in Connecticut.
DiMassa has pleaded responsible to wire fraud and conspiracy costs in reference to this scheme. Three others, together with John Bernardo, additionally pleaded responsible or have been convicted.
Bernardo was the primary within the group to be sentenced final week. Bernardo isn’t solely employed as a housing skilled at New Haven’s Group Growth Authority, however can be partnering with DiMatha in a bogus enterprise. backside.
They shaped Compass Funding Group in January 2021 to cost the Metropolis of West Haven greater than $636,000 for non-existent providers. DiMassa was answerable for the town’s COVID-19 grants division and had the authority to situation checks with out supervision.
“The place’s the cash?”
Nevertheless, regardless of being a accomplice in a paper firm, Bernardo solely personally collected $50,000 of the embezzled money. The primary time he discovered how a lot cash was put into Compass Investments was when he examine it in a newspaper, he informed the decide on the judicial listening to.
“I had no thought what Mr. Dimasa was doing or how he was earning money,” Bernardo mentioned. Hartford Courant. “After I heard between $500,000 and $800,000, I used to be like, ‘What is going on on right here? The place’s the cash?’
“Hear, that is what it’s,” added Bernardo. “I need to take accountability for my function within the crime…however I did not know what the heck was happening.”
In whole, Dimasa wrote 13 checks for Compass Investments. Many of those deposits coincided with massive withdrawals and subsequent money buy-ins made at Mohegan Solar, in response to courtroom paperwork.
For instance, on Might 6, 2021, the Metropolis issued a verify to Compass for “consulting providers” for $85,000. Over the subsequent ten days, he made six withdrawals, starting from $8,200 for Dimma to $9,350 for Dimasa. In the identical month, he purchased his $57,600 chips at a on line casino.
COVID Verify for Playing Buddies
The previous state senator additionally pleaded responsible to writing a verify for $432,000 to an organization managed by fellow playing buddy John Trasacco. None have been offered.
Trasacco was the one defendant whose case went to trial. He was discovered responsible of wire fraud in December 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.
Dimasa and his spouse, Lauren, have pleaded responsible to dealing with a number of the cash and are awaiting sentencing.
