A high-ranking DEA agent has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a brazen bribery scheme that saw him accept tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for sensitive law enforcement information.
John Costanzo Jr., 49, of Coral Gables, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to four years in prison for participating in the scheme, which involved his former colleague Manuel Recio and others funneling money to him in exchange for information that helped defense lawyers.
According to the evidence presented in court, Costanzo, a Group Supervisor in the DEA’s Miami Field Office until June 2019, provided Recio with nonpublic information about DEA investigations, including the identities of individuals charged and the anticipated timing of indictments and arrests.
The scheme, which took place from around the time of Recio’s retirement in 2018 through around November 2019, saw Recio pay Costanzo tens of thousands of dollars, including a $2,500 payment made in November 2018, which was funneled to Costanzo through a company owned by a close family member.
In return, Costanzo continued to provide nonpublic DEA information to Recio, including information about the timing of forthcoming indictments and information about DEA arrest plans of particular targets.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, "With today’s sentence, John Costanzo Jr. finally faces the consequences of selling his office as part of a bribery scheme. By disclosing sensitive information in exchange for money, Costanzo endangered his fellow officers, interfered in significant criminal investigations, and violated the laws he had sworn to uphold."
Costanzo was also ordered to pay a fine and forfeit $50,000 for his role in the scheme. The sentence is a significant blow to the DEA, which has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals in recent years.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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