West Haven, Conn./WTIC - The wife of a former West Haven state representative and city employee has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge stemming from her husband's alleged attempt to steal federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Lauren DiMassa, 38, pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge.
Court documents show DiMassa conspired with husband Michael to steal the money.
Michael DiMassa submitted fraudulent invoices to the city of West Haven between July 2020 and October of last year related to a youth violence prevention program.
The invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, wi-fi assistance for low/moderate income families, and counseling services, among other things.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, West Haven made 16 payments totaling nearly $148,000 to Lauren DiMassa for services that were never provided.
She is free on $50,000 pending sentencing.
Michael DiMassa has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges.