A former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent has been found guilty of protecting drug traffickers for at least a decade.
Joseph Bongiovanni, 60, of Buffalo, New York, was convicted Thursday after being accused of using his position and power to protect childhood friends who became drug dealers, along with others involved in organized crime.
The former agent tipped the drug dealers off to investigations and falsified DEA reports to shield them from facing legal repercussions. He allegedly took at least $250,000 in bribes.
Throughout two trials, the jury heard from more than 60 witnesses. Bongiovanni did not testify at either trial.
He was convicted on four counts of obstruction of justice, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and one count of making false statements to law enforcement.
Overall, Bongiovanni faced 11 potential charges. He was acquitted of a bribery charge and additional fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction charges.
This case is linked to a sex trafficking case at Pharoah’s Gentlemen’s Club near Buffalo. Bongiovanni was childhood friends with the strip club’s owner, Peter Gerace Jr. Gerace is currently awaiting trial on several charges, including drug and human trafficking. He is being accused of bribing Bongiovanni to protect him and the strip club. Gerace is known to have ties to the Buffalo Mafia and the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, which is said to be violent.
Bongiovanni will be required to wear an ankle monitor until his sentencing on June 9. He could face up to 20 years behind bars.
“There is never anything to celebrate when someone in law enforcement misuses the power granted to them to commit crimes such as these,” said U.S. Attorney Trini Ross in a press conference. “However, these verdicts show that no one, not even a federal law enforcement agent, is above the law.”
