Former Prattsville Town Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

The United States Attorney's Office Northern District of New York announced on Monday that Kory O'Hara, the former Town Supervisor of Prattsville, New York, has pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with a grant extended to Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

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In his guilty plea, O'Hara admitted that he obtained false invoices from a Prattsville-based modular home business for construction work, and submitted the false invoices to the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation to obtain $24,915 in grant proceeds through the New York Main Street Program.

According to the press release, Prattsville suffered significant damage during Hurricane Irene and millions of dollars of rehabilitation grants were issued for its recovery.

Stephen Baker, O'Hara's co-defendant, previously pled guilty to offering a false instrument for filing in Prattsville Town Court and the federal charges against him were dismissed.

O'Hara faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 as well as being required to pay $24,915 in restitution to the State of New York.

In the press release, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stated "Kory O'Hara violated the trust of his community and his duty as Town Supervisor by stealing funds that were meant to help the town recover from Hurricane Irene. thanks to my partnership with United States Attorney Carla Freedman and federal law enforcement and agencies, O'Hara has now been held accountable for his fraudulent, selfish actions."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi stated "Hurricane Irene had an absolutely devastating impact on the town of Prattsville, New York. While residents struggled to rebuild their lives, Mr. O'Hara was busy fraudulently obtaining the funds meant to assist them."