Hartford, Conn. — A federal jury has found Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, the former director of Connecticut’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review (OSCGR), guilty on 21 federal charges, including bribery, extortion, conspiracy, and making false statements to investigators, the FBI announced Monday.
Diamantis, 69, from Farmington, faced accusations of soliciting and accepting bribes from contractors in return for assisting them in obtaining profitable school construction contracts financed by the state. Prosecutors claimed that Diamantis misused his authority to direct multimillion-dollar projects and threatened to dismiss contractors who declined to pay.
Bribes for School Projects
As the director of OSCGR — the state agency responsible for overseeing grant funding for public school construction and renovation — Diamantis wielded considerable power over which contractors were awarded state-supported work.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that he received cash payments and promises of future compensation from several contractors engaged in construction administration and masonry tasks. In exchange, he purportedly guaranteed those contractors would secure and maintain state-funded projects.
Federal investigators asserted that Diamantis’ conduct compromised the integrity of Connecticut’s public contracting system and resulted in significant losses for taxpayers.
False Statements to the FBI
Alongside the bribery and extortion allegations, Diamantis was found guilty of 13 counts of making false statements to federal authorities. Prosecutors alleged that he repeatedly lied during interviews with FBI agents in 2023 while they probed his interactions with contractors.
Officials Condemn Breach of Public Trust
“Government officials hold unique positions of public trust,” said P.J. O’Brien, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Haven Division. “When officials abuse their position for personal financial gain, it not only affects every taxpayer but erodes the public’s trust in our government institutions. Today’s conviction demonstrates our commitment to protect taxpayers from criminal actors.”
Thomas Demeo, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation for New England, said Diamantis’ “greed overshadowed his commitment to serve the hardworking people of Connecticut.” He added that the verdict should serve “as a warning to those who exploit their positions of public trust for personal gain.”
Diamantis is looking at a possible prison term of as much as 20 years for each count of extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion, 10 years for each count of bribery, and five years for each count of making false statements. He has been released while awaiting sentencing.
