Former manager of Ambridge Water Authority pleads guilty in federal court to defrauding over $1 million

By Ciara McEneany / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An Aliquippa man has pleaded guilty in federal court in connection to the theft of over $1 million from the Ambridge Water Authority, the United States Attorney’s office in Pittsburgh announced Wednesday.

Michael Dominick, 44, was charged with one count of mail fraud, according to a release. District Judge Cathy Bissoon scheduled his sentencing for February.

“The [Ambridge] Borough Council and our residents are pleased to see this matter concluded and are hopeful that those impacted by this individual are made whole,” said Joseph Askar, borough solicitor, in an email to the Post-Gazette. 

The defendant is the former manager of the Ambridge Water Authority, having control over the authority’s bank accounts, along with cash and checks made from customers, according to the release.

He admitted to putting money sent for the water authority into his own personal accounts by writing checks to himself, depositing checks and cash made to the authority into his bank accounts and would use the authority’s debit card to make non-work-related purchases, as well as altering the authority’s financial records to cover it up, according to the release.

Dominick was found to have defrauded the authority of just over $1 million worth of money and property from January 2020 to August 2022.

“Michael Dominick’s theft of more than a million dollars from the Ambridge Water Authority is an alarming violation of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan in a statement. “Those who hold positions of authority at any level of government — and particularly those who are responsible for managing and safeguarding public finances — owe a special duty to act in the best interest of their employer and the community.”