Former Connecticut Official Flees to Greece Ahead of Corruption Sentencing

A former senior budget official for Connecticut’s Democratic governor has become a fugitive in Greece after fleeing the United States by boat and plane ahead of his sentencing for corruption. Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, 70, faces sentencing for extorting private contractors, and his lawyer confirmed he would not attend his court appearance on Thursday.

Diamantis, who also previously served as a Democratic state representative, was convicted last year by a federal jury for extorting thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors between 2018 and 2021. In exchange for the payments, he helped companies secure work on multimillion-dollar school construction projects. Diamantis had expressed fear of going to prison after his conviction.

Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of 10 to 12 years, while his defense argued for a sentence without incarceration. Diamantis, who holds both American and Greek citizenship, sent his attorney a 10-page email accusing Governor Ned Lamont of weaponizing the justice system and denying any wrongdoing.

Authorities and Diamantis’ lawyer, Norman Pattis, have not specified when Diamantis left the U.S. Federal prosecutors stated he traveled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas before boarding a plane to London. Although Diamantis had surrendered his U.S. passport, he reportedly obtained a Greek passport. Pattis confirmed he spoke with Diamantis by phone on Wednesday night, at which point Diamantis informed him he was in Greece and would not attend his sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill has scheduled a new sentencing date for September 30, which will proceed with or without Diamantis’ presence. Connecticut officials condemned Diamantis’ flight and have initiated steps to halt his state pension payments. Governor Lamont stated, “Kosta Diamantis betrayed the public’s trust and needs to be held accountable for his actions. His repeated efforts to skirt justice are shameful.” Attorney General William Tong added that Diamantis’ disappearance is “a shameful insult to every person in Connecticut and will not deter our efforts to fully protect the state’s interest and taxpayer dollars.”

Pattis expressed surprise at Diamantis’ decision to flee, stating, “As a lawyer, I cannot support his decision to take the law into his own hands. But as a fellow human being, I understand why he did what he did.”

In his email to Pattis, Diamantis wrote, “The injustice that has occurred to me and my family by political weaponization is beyond rational belief. I have lost everything that took me an entire lifetime to earn and more.” He also claimed Governor Lamont used “the power of his office and his powerful friendship with President Biden to create an insular system of justice” to shield himself from wrongdoing.

Diamantis faces another pending criminal case in federal court, where he is accused of accepting bribes to obstruct a state audit of an eye doctor implicated in Medicaid fraud.

During his trial for the school construction grants case, witnesses testified that they handed Diamantis envelopes containing cash in various locations. Payments were allegedly disguised in messages as “birthday cards,” “pars,” and “birdies.” Diamantis, who testified in his own defense, admitted receiving the money but maintained it was legitimate consulting income.