UTICA, NY — Louis LaPolla, the 78-year-old former mayor of Utica, New York, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with misappropriating nearly $40,000 in donations. These funds were intended for a scholarship established in memory of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla. The plea was entered today in the federal court in Syracuse, as announced by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli.
LaPolla admitted that the donations he solicited for the scholarship, which was supposed to benefit students from the Utica City School District pursuing health-related post-secondary education, were instead used for his personal expenses. LaPolla’s tenure as mayor from 1984 to 1995 and his subsequent roles in local education, including President of the Utica City School Board from 2018 to 2022, highlighted the trust placed in him by the community.
Set for sentencing on September 10, 2024, by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, LaPolla faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine up to $1.5 million, and up to three years of supervised release. He is also required to pay restitution totaling $38,616. This federal case follows his earlier guilty plea this year to a misdemeanor charge of petit larceny for using school district resources for personal fundraising, which resulted in a sentence of 60 days of house arrest and three years of probation.