Tolland's Birch Grove Project Mentioned Prominently In Federal Sentencing Of Former State Official

TOLLAND, CT — The project to build a new Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland amid crumbling foundation worries was featured prominently in sentencing statements for a former high-ranking state official accused of underhanded construction dealings.

Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis, 70, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release for extortion, bribery, conspiracy, and false statement offenses related to his conduct as director of Connecticut's Office of School Constructions Grants and Review. OSCGR was known during his tenure as the state agency responsible for the grant administration of all Connecticut public school construction projects seeking state funding.

Subscribe

Diamantis failed to appear for his sentencing and is currently being sought by law enforcement, federal authorities said.

Tolland wants $80,000 back from costs Town Manager Brian Foley said were related to the misdeeds.

According to court documents and the evidence introduced during his trial, Diamantis demanded and received bribes from contractors in connection with multi-million dollar school construction projects he supervised as director of OSCGR. In exchange for those bribes, and promises to pay bribes, Diamantis used his official position to assist Acranom Masonry Inc. to obtain and maintain contracts to perform work on state-funded school construction projects, according to case records.

Diamantis helped Acranom, in approximately 2019, obtain the masonry contract for the "emergency rebuilding" of the Birch Grove Primary School in Tolland, according to case records.

In numerous electronic messages between Diamantis and Acranom principals John Duffy and Salvatore Monarca, the three discussed their plan to pay Diamantis, in exchange for his official action on behalf of Acranom, according to federal authorities. Diamantis also demanded payment in exchange for his actions and threatened to remove Acranom from the Birch Grove projects if he were not paid, according to federal authorities.

According to case records, Diamantis also demanded and received bribes from Antoinetta Roy in her capacity as the owner of Construction Advocacy Professionals and, in exchange for those bribes, Diamantis used his official position to assist the firm in obtaining contracts to provide construction administrator and related services on a 2019 contract for Birch Grove.

To conceal this conduct, on three different occasions in 2023, Diamantis made multiple false statements to federal agents investigating the matter, according to case records. Birtch Grove had already re-opened by then.

Last week, as the sentencing drew near, Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley formally requested restitution in a letter to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Francis. Foley wrote that the town is conducting a detailed review of its "financial losses" on the project and plans to provide federal prosecutors with a preliminary dollar amount by Sept. 28.

"We want our money back," Foley wrote in the letter.

Foley then elaborated Thursday after the sentencing.

"We did not want to be punitive, as we are conservative in what we are seeking in restitution," he said. "The amount we are seeking — $80,000 — has been backed up with documentation and provided to the U.S. Attorney's Office."

Foley continued, "We feel fortified in our approach, having learned that other towns have followed the Town of Tolland and also filed for restitution."