O’Donnell prompted investigation that uncovered “Ponzi” scheme at IDA

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Jimmy O’Donnell

GOSHEN – Orange County Legislator Jimmy O’Donnell is a retired career state trooper and it was his initial investigation that ultimately led to the guilty pleas of Vincent Cozzolini, Laurie Villasuso, and Edward Diana in what was called a “Ponzi” scheme that stole over $1 million from county residents through the county Industrial Development Agency.

Cozzolino ran the Galileo Group consulting firm that was the managing company for the Orange County IDA. Laurie Villasuso was his “number-two” in the company and the IDA and Diana, a former county executive and Wallkill town supervisor, was a member of the IDA board.

While O’Donnell is glad to see those three felony guilty pleas, he would have liked to see the feds involved in the investigation.

“I have been after the FBI office over in Stewart Airport to get involved since January. I am extremely disappointed they didn’t get involved. They are white-collar crimes. So, if people are yelling and screaming about defunding the police, maybe they should defund the white-collar crime over at the FBI office if they are not going to get involved in the biggest white-collar crime in the history of Orange County,” he said.

O’Donnell also said the state Authorities Budget Office is nothing more than a poor duplicate of the State Comptroller’s Office, which was involved in the IDA investigation. He called the ABO “a disgrace to public service.”




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