In a significant development on Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced John Costanzo Jr., a longtime agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to four years in prison.
Costanzo was found guilty last year of bribery and honest-services wire fraud, marking another instance of a DEA agent facing federal convictions.
The sentencing, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Oetken, emphasized Costanzo’s role as a supervisor and the severity of his actions, which prosecutors argued endangered ongoing drug cases and the lives of confidential informants.
Supervisor’s culpability highlighted
Judge Oetken underscored Costanzo’s heightened responsibility as a supervisor within the DEA, noting that he was fully aware of the illegality of his actions.
Costanzo, 49, expressed remorse during the sentencing proceedings, acknowledging the gravity of his transgressions.
Despite his regret, prosecutors pushed for a steeper sentence, highlighting Costanzo’s exploitation of his expertise in narcotics investigation and his betrayal of law enforcement principles for personal gain.
Greed and abuse of authority
Prosecutors depicted Costanzo’s motivations as purely driven by greed, alleging that he utilized his professional network and skills to profit unlawfully by leaking sensitive law enforcement information.
The prosecution’s case heavily relied on intercepted communications between Costanzo and another former DEA supervisor, Manny Recio, who collaborated with defense lawyers in a bribery scheme.
Collusion with defense lawyers
The intricate scheme involved leaking DEA intelligence to defense attorneys David Macey and Luis Guerra, who allegedly financed the operation.
This leaked information was purportedly used to solicit new clients facing federal drug charges.
While Macey and Guerra have not faced charges themselves, prosecutors sought access to privileged communications between Recio and the attorneys, citing an ongoing investigation.
A pattern of corruption
Costanzo’s sentencing comes amidst a string of scandals involving DEA agents.
Just weeks prior, a federal jury in Buffalo convicted another veteran DEA agent of obstruction of justice and lying to federal agents in a sprawling corruption case.
Family entanglements
The involvement of Costanzo’s father, a retired DEA agent himself, further complicates the case.
Prosecutors alleged that the elder Costanzo played a pivotal role in facilitating bribe payments, tarnishing the image of a father-son relationship that the defense sought to portray as honorable.
