Karam sentenced in public corruption trial

Ordered to pay over $160,000 in restitution

UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — Former Utica City School District Superintendent Bruce Karam was sentenced in his public corruption trial in Oneida County Court on Friday, April 19.

Karam pled guilty to public corruption charges on Thursday, March 7. On Friday, Karam was sentenced to pay the Utica City School District over $11,000 in restitution. He was also ordered to serve five year’s probation and perform 250 hours of community service.

Karam was also ordered to pay $150,000, which represents a reduction in his pension earnings from the date when the crime was committed until his termination in November of 2023.

“Bruce Karam shamelessly diverted funds meant to benefit students to further his personal interests,” New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement. “I thank Oneida District Attorney Todd Carville and the New York State Police for their assistance in ensuring justice was served.”

Karam — along with his co-defendant, former Utica Mayor Louis LaPolla — was arrested in November of 2023. Investigatiors with the Oneida County District Attorney, the New York State Comptroller, and the New York State Police found that Karam had used school money and resources to send out election mailers and invitations to fundraisers.

LaPolla, was sentenced earlier in this month to 60 days of house arrest and three years of probation.

“Today’s sentence represents accountability and just punishment for a former local leader who abused his power and the public trust,” Carville said in a statement.

The $150,000 Karam was ordered to pay by the court must be paid by Friday, May 17.

“While these legal issues have been ongoing, under the stewardship of Dr. Kathleen Davis, our Board of Education and district leadership have thoroughly examined and scrutinized our operating structure,” The Utica City School District said in a statement. “We’ve made decisive recommendations for improvements and implemented guardrails and layers of checks and balances to strengthen and fortify the foundation of our school district operations and administration. We remain steadfastly dedicated to fostering a thriving and supportive environment for our students, staff, teachers, and administration.

“We are on the road toward closing this challenging chapter for our district. We are immensely thankful for the support and diligence of law enforcement, the Oneida County District Attorney’s office, and the New York State Comptroller’s office in bringing these matters to a resolution. We have the utmost confidence that these agencies have conducted thorough investigations and that appropriate parties are being held fully accountable for their actions.”