Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis, a former state official convicted of accepting bribes from contractors, fled to Greece before his scheduled Thursday morning sentencing.
After Diamantis failed to appear in court in Bridgeport, Judge Stefan Underhill said he would order a bench warrant for his arrest.
Diamantis' sentencing has been rescheduled for Sept. 30 at 10 a.m., according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Diamantis, 70, of Farmington, was convicted at trial in 2025 of multiple counts of extortion, bribery, conspiracy and false statements in connection with his role as director of Connecticut's Office of School Constructions Grants and Review.
Diamantis' background also includes stints as deputy state budget director and as a state representative.
According to federal prosecutors, contractors gave Diamantis bribes in order to secure lucrative multi-million dollar school construction projects.
Prosecutors say Diamantis extorted contractors and demanded bribes, then made multiple false statements to FBI agents who were investigating.
Diamantis' defense attorney, Norman Pattis, told media outside the courthouse Thursday that he received a phone call on Wednesday night notifying him his client is in Greece.
Sentencing guidelines had called for Diamantis to get between 121 and 151 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Diamantis deserved to be sentenced to a term within these guidelines, "for his greed, corruption, and abject lack of integrity."
Pattis, in a defense sentencing memorandum, asserted a guideline sentence would consume much of his client's remaining life.
"It would add to punishment that already includes financial ruin, the loss of his law license and career, public disgrace, diminished income, likely pension forfeiture, and severely limited prospects for future employment," Pattis wrote.
Instead, Pattis had sought a sentence of home detention, monitoring and community service.
"While as a lawyer I cannot condone his decision to flee the country, I certainly understand it as a human being. He's 70, broke, will lose his pension and his home. Prison makes no sense. In what world is it just to break an old man to pieces just because you can," Pattis said, via email Thursday.
Attorney General William Tong said Thursday officials are acting to revoke Diamantis' state pension.
"Kosta Diamantis abused the public trust and will be held accountable," Tong said, in a statement Thursday. "His disappearance this morning is a shameful insult to every person in Connecticut and will not deter our efforts to fully protect the state's interest and taxpayer dollars. State law requires that my office take action to revoke or reduce the pension of state or municipal officials convicted of corruption-related charges. We are reviewing all legal options to fully enforce the law."
Read more:
Former Connecticut Budget Official Convicted Of Taking Bribes From School Construction Contractors
Former CT Official Arrested, Facing Federal Charges: Feds
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