GOSHEN – Three former Orange County officials who pled guilty to felonies in connection with engaging in, and concealing, prohibited conflicts of interest, where sentenced in Orange County Court on Friday.
Vincent Cozzolino, who headed up Galileo Technologies Group, the company hired to manage the IDA, was sentenced by Judge Robert Prisco to five years of probation under the supervision of Ulster County since he lives there. He paid $1 million in restitution. If he is arrested during that time for any reason, he will be sentenced to 2 1/3 to seven years in state prison. He pled guilty to the felony of corrupting the government.
Laurie Villasuso, who was the IDA’s CEO and paid through Galileo, was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge. She pled guilty to the felony of corrupting the government and paid $175,000 in restitution. If she is arrested for any reason, she will be sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in state prison.
Former Orange County Executive Edward Diana, who was an IDA board member and did consulting work for Galileo in Ulster County, was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and faces one in the county jail if arrested during that time. His felony conviction was reduced to misdemeanors for offering a false instrument for filing and engaging prohibited conflict of interest. He paid $90,000 in restitution.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and District Attorney Hoovler also released a report detailing the defendants’ crimes and how the systemic failures and neglect of duty by the IDA board and its officials enabled their scheme.
“Cozzolino, Villasuso and Diana betrayed their duty to the public in order to enrich themselves through a web of conflicts of interest, false statements and pay-offs,” said DiNapoli. “Making matters worse, their scheme was enabled by a complacent board, which neglected its fiduciary duty and allowed Cozzolino to assume near unfettered control of the program. It is because of the joint work of our partnership with Orange County District Attorney Hoovler and the New Windsor Police that we were able to bring their crimes to light and recover over $1 million.”
