Kory O’Hara, Wire Fraud, New York 2023

ALBANY, NEW YORK — Kory O’Hara, age 45, formerly the Town Supervisor of Prattsville, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a grant extended to Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

In August 2011, Hurricane Irene caused significant damage to the Town of Prattsville, resulting in the issuance of millions of dollars in rehabilitation grants to Prattsville and its residents. As Town Supervisor, O’Hara entered into various grant agreements, including with the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation.

In pleading guilty, O’Hara admitted that between 2013 and 2015, he obtained false invoices from a Prattsville-based modular home business, Moore’s Homes, purporting to reflect construction work performed on O’Hara’s automotive garage, O’Hara’s Service Station, which Moore’s Homes did not perform. O’Hara issued checks to Moore’s Homes reflecting payment on the invoices, but Moore’s Homes returned all of the money.

O’Hara, who was Town Supervisor at the time, then submitted the false invoices and checks to Prattsville and the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation to fraudulently obtain $24,915 in grant proceeds under the New York Main Street Program.

“The New York Main Street Program was designed to make sure that grant money would be used to rebuild Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene. As Town Supervisor, O’Hara knew the rules, but chose not to follow them. Instead, he took grant money fraudulently. We will continue to hold public officials accountable who, through fraud, put their own interests above those of their constituents,” said United States Attorney Carla Freedman.

O’Hara faces up to 20 years in prison; a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years; and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will also be required to pay $24,915 in restitution to the State of New York. O’Hara’s co-defendant, Stephen Baker, age 71, of Prattsville, previously pled guilty to offering false invoices to O’Hara.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), and the New York State Office of the Comptroller.

In addition to the charges announced today, O’Hara is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2024 before the Honorable Mae A. D’Agostino, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of New York.