Louis LaPolla, a former mayor of Utica in upstate New York, has confessed to misappropriating the majority of the scholarship donations that were raised in honor of his late wife, as stated by federal prosecutors. In a federal court in Syracuse, LaPolla, 78, pleaded guilty to mail fraud for his involvement in soliciting and then embezzling funds that were intended for a scholarship fund established in his wife’s name. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York released a statement on Friday, revealing the details of the case.
According to the statement, LaPolla acknowledged that he had utilized nearly all of the approximately $40,000 that was donated to commemorate Andrea LaPolla, who passed away in 2018, for his personal expenses. The scholarship fund was originally intended to support students from the Utica City School District (UCSD) who aspired to pursue higher education in health-related fields.
The statement further highlighted LaPolla’s extensive involvement in the community, noting that he served as the mayor of Utica from 1984 to 1995 and later became the president of the UCSD board from 2018 to 2022, following his 21-year tenure as a board member.
According to the Utica Observer-Dispatch, LaPolla, a Republican, held the position of Utica’s longest-serving mayor and was the first to be elected to a four-year mayoral term in the city. However, following the death of his wife at the beginning of his first term as board president, LaPolla expressed uncertainty about facing another UCSD election alone.
In addition to the federal mail fraud charges, LaPolla also pleaded guilty to a separate misdemeanor charge of petit larceny earlier this year. As a result, he received a sentence of two months under house arrest and a three-year probation. The prosecuting office stated that LaPolla was also ordered to pay $3,100 in restitution. The petit larceny charge stemmed from his use of UCSD supplies to distribute fundraising flyers promoting the scholarship.
LaPolla explained to the outlet that he had accumulated significant medical debt due to his wife’s passing and was unaware that he couldn’t borrow from the scholarship fund to alleviate some of the financial burden. He also claimed that six students had benefited from the fund. Scheduled for sentencing in September, LaPolla faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison, along with a three-year supervised release. Additionally, he may be required to pay a fine of up to $1.5 million and $38,616 in restitution, as stated by the prosecuting office.
