Facing 10 years in prison, ex-budget official flees U.S. by boat and plane

Facing 10 years in prison, ex-budget official flees U.S. by boat and plane A former senior budget official for Connecticut's Democratic governor, Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis, is now a fugitive in Greece after fleeing the U.S. by boat and plane ahead of his sentencing for corruption, according to his lawyer and federal prosecutors. Diamantis, 70, also sent his attorney a 10-page email accusing Governor Ned Lamont of using the justice system against him, denying wrongdoing and stating his life, reputation and family relationships were ruined by the prosecution. Diamantis was found guilty in October 2025 on 21 counts of bribery and extortion. He could have faced more than 10 years in prison at his sentencing Thursday in federal court in Bridgeport. A former Democratic state representative, Diamantis was convicted by a federal jury of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes from 2018 to 2021, in exchange for helping the companies keep and obtain work on multimillion-dollar school construction contracts. At the time of his conviction, he told reporters he was afraid to go to prison. The prospects of returning Diamantis, who holds both American and Greek citizenship, to the U.S. remain unclear. Greek courts have upheld the claim that extradition of Greek nationals is forbidden. Federal prosecutors stated that Diamantis traveled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas, then boarded a plane to London. Although Diamantis had surrendered his U.S. passport, he obtained a Greek passport. His lawyer, Norman Pattis, confirmed during a phone call Wednesday night that Diamantis was in Greece and would not attend the sentencing. U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill set a new sentencing date for September 30, which will proceed whether or not Diamantis is present. Connecticut officials condemned Diamantis for fleeing the country and took steps to halt his state pension payments. Governor Ned Lamont called the act a betrayal of public trust and expressed hope that Diamantis would be apprehended and held accountable. State Attorney General William Tong echoed these sentiments, calling the disappearance a "shameful insult" to Connecticut residents and emphasizing continued efforts to protect the state's interests and taxpayer funds. Prosecutors sought a prison sentence of 10 to 12 years for Diamantis, while Pattis argued for a sentence with no incarceration but strict conditions of release. After the court hearing, Pattis told reporters he was surprised by Diamantis' flight. "I think that Mr. Diamantis was facing a tough day here today and would have gotten at least four or five years, perhaps 10 to 12," he said. "So as a lawyer, I cannot support his decision to take the law into his own hands. But as a fellow human being, I understand why he did what he did." Pattis shared copies of the email Diamantis sent to him, in which he described the "political weaponization" of his case. Diamantis claimed he had lost everything he worked for over his lifetime, including his home, job, law license, honor, dignity and pride. He also alleged that Governor Lamont, with the help of President Joe Biden, created an insular justice system to protect the governor's own misconduct. Diamantis faces another pending criminal case in federal court, where he is accused of taking bribes to quash a state audit of an eye doctor suspected of Medicaid fraud. Federal prosecutors believe they will succeed in bringing Diamantis back to the U.S., citing the dedication of law enforcement resources to locate fugitives. Former police detective Brian Foley told local media that once the government is embarrassed, it commits significant effort to find such individuals. "I guarantee that's already happening and he's on every fugitive list in the U.S."