Michael Dominick, a 44-year-old resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to mail fraud. Additionally, he's been ordered to pay back a hefty sum exceeding one million dollars. The sentencing, handed down yesterday, comes from Dominick's deceitful manipulation of the Ambridge Water Authority's (AWA) finances during his tenure as manager, according to details released by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The former AWA manager's corruption unraveled between January 2020 and August 2022. During this time frame, his unscrupulous use of his position allowed him to siphon roughly $1,073,185 by exploiting his access to AWA’s bank accounts. The diversions included checks written directly to himself, deposits of cash and cheques meant for AWA into his accounts, personal purchases with AWA's debit card, and fudging financial records to mask these movements, as reported by the Department of Justice.
Judge Cathy Bissoon, who pronounced the judgment, emphasized that the sentence reflects Dominick's "significant abuse of public trust" in his fraudulent scheme. This sentiment echoes the gravity of the situation, where public funds that should be safeguarded for communal resources and services were clandestinely funneled for personal gain. After his recent sentencing, Dominick's guilty plea occurred on October 8, 2024.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch, who built the case against Dominick in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office.
