January 1, Mayor’s Shocking Admission: Misused Wife’s Memorial Scholarship Funds

Former Utica Mayor, Louis LaPolla, 78, admitted Friday to spending almost all of the scholarship donations raised for his late wife on himself, according to federal prosecutors. LaPolla pleaded guilty in a federal court in Syracuse to “mail fraud for soliciting and then stealing donations intended for a scholarship fund in his late wife’s name,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of New York said in a statement Friday.

LaPolla reportedly spent nearly all of the almost $40,000 donated to memorialize Andrea LaPolla, who died in 2018. The scholarship fund was meant to support Utica City School District (UCSD) students pursuing college-level education in health-related fields.

Serving as Utica’s mayor from 1984 to 1995 and USCD board president from 2018 to 2022, LaPolla was a prominent figure in the community. He was the first to be elected to a four-year mayoral term in Utica.

Earlier this year, LaPolla separately pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of petit larceny. He was sentenced to two months under house arrest with three-year probation and ordered to pay $3,100 in restitution.

The charge stemmed from his use of UCSD supplies to send out fundraising flyers for the scholarship. LaPolla claimed he had incurred sizable medical debt due to his wife’s death and did not realize he could not borrow from the scholarship fund to offset some of the debt. He also claimed six students had benefited from the fund.

Due to be sentenced in September, LaPolla could face up to 20 years in prison with a three-year supervised release, pay a fine of up to $1.5 million, and pay $38,616 in restitution.

As our loyal readers, we encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions on this issue. Let your voice be heard and join the discussion below.

Source