On January 21, 2026, a retired DEA Special Agent previously assigned to the DEA’s New York Division in Buffalo, New York was sentenced in the Western District of New York to 60 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, five counts of obstruction of justice, and two counts of false statements. According to the evidence presented at trial, from in or about 2001 to in or about February 2019, Joseph Bongiovanni conspired with others to defraud the United States and the DEA in exchange for bribe payments and utilized his position to create the appearance of a legitimate DEA investigation and protect his conspirators, friends, associates, and individuals he believed were members or associates of organized crime and involved in the distribution of marijuana, cocaine, and fentanyl pills. Bongiovanni also obstructed justice and made materially false statements by preparing fraudulent DEA memoranda and making false statements to agents investigating Bongiovanni to conceal his relationship with Peter Gerace Jr., a club owner under investigation for multiple drug trafficking and related offenses, and others. The investigation was conducted by the OIG’s New York City Office, the FBI, and HSI; forensic assistance was provided by the OIG’s Cyber Investigations Office.
Date Issued
Case Action
Sentencing