Louis LaPolla,Indicted for Mail Fraud

[Atticus Pizzaballa]

Louis LaPolla, Former Utica Mayor, School Board Pres., Indicted for Mail Fraud

UTICA, N.Y. -- Former Utica Mayor and Utica City School District Board President Louis LaPolla, has been charged with six counts of mail fraud.


The U.S. Department of Justice said that LaPolla allegedly stole thousands of dollars in scholarship donations.



The indictment alleges that LaPolla, 78, of Utica, "set up a scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla, after she passed away in 2018, with the stated intention of benefiting Utica City School District students who planned to pursue post-secondary education in health-related fields," the U.S. Department of Justice stated.



There are further allegations that the former school president "received tens of thousands of dollars in donations intended for the scholarship fund from individuals and businesses and that he spent nearly all of the donated money on himself rather than depositing it into the scholarship fund," the DOJ stated.



LaPolla was mayor of Utica from 1984 to 1995.



He was president of UCSD from 2018 to 2022. Prior to the president's chair, LaPolla was a board member of the district.



The DOJ added that "the charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."



These charges carry a maximum sentence term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million and supervised release of up to 3 years.



"Following his arrest on these charges and initial appearance in federal court today, LaPolla was ordered released on conditions pending his trial," according to the DOJ.



The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Police and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office.

www.wktv.com/news/crime/louis-lapolla-former-utica-mayor-school-board-pres-indicted-for-mail-fraud/article_e2284e42-5975-11ee-9cb1-5bef870c84ed.html



This is difficult to believe. I would never think him as a person who would do such a thing.....he was such a conservative and tight with money.....

[chris]

Sounds like all the stories I left behind when I left Utica.

[kit]

So many politicians getting arrested, impeached or sued nowadays. It's not just Utica... it's all over the place.

[Clipper]

It certainly is. It seems that way too many people spend their days trying to find a way to scam others and steal their money rather than to work for a living. Recently here in this area a parent teacher organization president was charged for stealing 20 grand. I just shook my head in disbelief. Where does a PTO accumulate enough money for that much to be embezzled over a period of time? I guess politicians aren't the only ones that find it easy to wrongfully spend campaign contributions or other moneys that are not theirs to spend for personal gain.

Makes me wonder how much LaPolla may have misappropriated while he was the mayor.

In another case their was a local roofing contractor that collected thousands in advances from several customers that were meant to pay for materials and then never showed up to do the work. He skipped town and was found in Raleigh/Durham NC, going door to door trying to sell roofing jobs. He is in jail in NC awaiting extradition.

[clarencebunsen]

I have been treasurer of several organizations dating back to when I was in high school. I can't remember anyone ever auditing the books. Trying to keep track of all the cash when girl scouts do a cookie sale or boy scouts sell popcorn is almost impossible. Even in adult organizations people don't want to be bothered and seem to just have faith.

[BHU]

Sept 24, 2023 9:10:38 GMT -5 Clipper said:

It certainly is. It seems that way too many people spend their days trying to find a way to scam others and steal their money rather than to work for a living. Recently here in this area a parent teacher organization president was charged for stealing 20 grand. I just shook my head in disbelief. Where does a PTO accumulate enough money for that much to be embezzled over a period of time? I guess politicians aren't the only ones that find it easy to wrongfully spend campaign contributions or other moneys that are not theirs to spend for personal gain.

Makes me wonder how much LaPolla may have misappropriated while he was the mayor.

In another case their was a local roofing contractor that collected thousands in advances from several customers that were meant to pay for materials and then never showed up to do the work. He skipped town and was found in Raleigh/Durham NC, going door to door trying to sell roofing jobs. He is in jail in NC awaiting extradition.

I was on an O.C. Grand Jury a few years ago. You'd be surprised how many contractors we indicted for ripping off customers. In one case a guy took a $35,000 insurance check from an elderly couple in southern oneida county to replace a pole barn destroyed in a storm. The guy never bought a 2x6 & they never heard from him again. The worst part is that most people who get screwed like that never get a penny back from those cretins. They just change the name of the company & move on to the next victim until the law catches up to them.