Former Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Theft of $1.2 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds
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 spent at the Mohegan Sun Casino in eastern Connecticut.
