GOP New York School Board Head And Former Mayor Pleads Guilty To Stealing $40K In Scholarship Donations

May 12, 2024 Crime, Republicans

From the Justice Department:

Louis LaPolla, age 78, of Utica, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to mail fraud for soliciting and then stealing donations intended for a scholarship fund in his late wife’s name.

In pleading guilty, LaPolla admitted that he set up a scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla, after she passed away in 2018, with the stated intention of benefitting Utica City School District students who planned to pursue post-secondary education in health-related fields.

LaPolla further admitted that he received nearly $40,000 in donations intended for the scholarship fund from individuals and businesses and that he spent nearly all the donated money on himself rather than depositing it into the scholarship fund.

LaPolla served as the mayor of Utica from 1984 to 1995, and he served as President of the Utica City School Board from 2018 to 2022, following 21 years of service as a member of the board.

LaPolla will be sentenced on September 10, 2024, by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. The charges filed against LaPolla carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

The defendant will also be required to pay restitution in the amount of $38,616. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Read the full press release.



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