Ex-Connecticut Lawmaker’s Casino Fraud Conspiracy Sees First Prison Sentence

A former Occident Haven, Conn. urban center employee has been sentenced to 13 months inwards prison for his role inward a cabal involving ex-State Rep. Michael DiMassa to slip more than $1.2 gazillion inward federal Covid-relief money. Di Massa blew thousands of dollars inwards stolen monetary resource at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino, according to prosecutors.

DiMassa has pleaded shamefaced to conducting wire hoax and confederacy charges in relation to the scheme. Three others make also admitted culpability or have got been convicted, including John Bernardo.

Last week, Bernardo was the firstly of the aggroup to live sentenced. As considerably as existence employed as a lodging specializer at New Haven’s Office of Community Development Administration, Bernardo was a partner with DiMassa inwards a sham business.

Together, they formed Compass Investment Group in January 2021, which billed the City of Mae West Haven more than $636,000 for non-existent services. DiMassa was in burster of the city’s COVID-19 Ulysses Grant Department and had the force to come forth checks without oversight.

‘Where is the Money?’

But despite existence a partner in the racing shell company, Bernardo in person poised simply $50,000 of the misappropriated cash. The world-class time he knew exactly how a great deal had been funneled into Compass Investment was when he register virtually it inwards the newspapers, he told the adjudicate at his plea hearing.

“I had no idea what Mr DiMassa was doing, how he was getting the money,” Bernardo said, as reported by The Hartford Courant. “When i heard it was betwixt $500,000 and $800,000, I said, ‘What is going on here? Where is the money?’

“Listen, it is what it is,” Bernardo added. “I require to live held responsible for my constituent inwards the crime. … But I didn’t cognise what the hell on earth was going on.”

In all, DiMassa wrote 13 checks to Compass Investment. Many of these deposits coincided with large withdrawals and subsequent cash in buy-ins made at the Mohegan Sun, according to homage documents.

For example, on May 6, 2021, the metropolis issued a check out for $85,000 to Compass for “consulting services.” Over the next ten days, DiMassa made half-dozen withdrawals in amounts ranging from $8,200 to $9,350. In the same month, he bought $57,600 in chips at the casino.

COVID Checks for Gambling Buddy

The former res publica rep has also pleaded shamed to stabbing checks for $432,000 to companies controled by Saint John Trasacco, a gaming buddy. This was supposedly for thousands of COVID supplies, such as protective equipment, as good as other services, none of which were provided.

Trasacco was the only when suspect whose instance went to trial. He was found shamed of conducting wire fraud inward Dec 2022 and is awaiting sentencing.

DiMassa and his wife, Lauren, who has pleaded guilty to handling some of the money, also await sentencing.

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