Retired DEA Agent Sentenced to Five Years for Protecting Drug Traffickers
Retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Joseph Bongiovanni was sentenced to five years in federal prison for using his badge to help out drug traffickers. Prosecutors say Bongiovanni used his position as a DEA special agent to protect friends and associates that he knew from childhood who were connected to organized crime in Buffalo, New York.
Bongiovanni was convicted in 2024 of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and making false statements to law enforcement. He was acquitted of other charges including pocketing $250,000 in bribes from the mafia.
Bongiovanni was at the DEA for over two decades and often served as a “lead breacher” or the first person into the room.
“I never knew what was on the other side of that door — that fear is what I feel today," Bongiovanni said at his sentencing hearing. "I've always been innocent. I loved that job."
Prosecutors say Bongiovanni provided information learned on the job to protect friends and associates, some of which had connections to Italian organized crime in Buffalo, and some of which were involved in the distribution of fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs.
Bongiovanni was accused of providing sensitive information about the investigations, identities of informants, and information about law enforcement techniques and tactics. He allegedly opened a case file within the DEA to ensure that other law enforcement agencies would not investigate the people he was protecting.
“The sentencing today of retired DEA Special Agent Joseph Bongiovanni sends a powerful message that those who betray their badge will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” stated DEA Northeast Associate Chief of Operations Frank Tarentino. “Any abuse of authority is a breach of trust that not only undermines public confidence but also erodes the foundation of integrity upon which society relies.”
The five-year sentenced imposed by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo was less than the 15 years prosecutors sought.
The judge said the sentence reflected the complexity of the mixed verdicts following two lengthy trials and the almost Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of Bongiovanni's career.