Man Sentenced In Scheme To Steal West Haven's COVID-19 Relief Funds

WEST HAVEN, CT — A West Haven man has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal COVID-19 relief funds from the city, according to officials.

John Trasacco, 50, was also sentenced Monday to five years of supervised release following the prison term, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery announced.

Michael DiMassa, a Democrat who represented the 116th District including parts of West Haven and New Haven, was arrested Oct. 20, 2021 on a federal complaint. He then resigned from his seat in the state House of Representatives and as Administrative Assistant to the West Haven City Council.

From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1.15 million in federal CARES Act funding to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic response.

DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, “conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided,” according to a news release.

“The investigation revealed that DiMassa conspired with Trasacco through the submission of fraudulent invoices from L & H Company and JIL Sanitation Services, two companies controlled by Trasacco, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years,” officials wrote in the news release.

Trasacco’s companies received approximately $431,982 through the scheme, officials said.

A jury found Trasacco guilty in December of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.

Trasacco has been ordered to pay $143,994 in restitution, according to officials.

Trasacco, who had been released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of Monday’s court proceeding.

DiMassa pleaded guilty in November to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is awaiting sentencing and has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541, according to officials.

On June 14, 2022, John Bernardo, a West Haven city employee who with Michael DiMassa formed a company that they used to bill the city for fraudulent COVID-related consulting services, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On March 22, 2023, he was sentenced to 13 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $58,927 in restitution.

On July 14, 2022, Michael DiMassa’s wife, Lauren DiMassa, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On March 23, 2023, she was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $147,776 in restitution.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form here.