Carmine Agnello Pleads Guilty (This is John Gotti's grandson, and the son of Carmine "The Bull" Agnello)


Smithtown Man Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Covid-19 Fraud
Thursday, September 26, 2024
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Carmine G. Agnello pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his receipt of approximately $1.1 million in small business loans under the United States Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Agnello faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution totaling more than $940,000 and a fine of up to $2.2 million.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the guilty plea.

“The defendant shamefully used the public health and economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to line his pockets with stolen funds,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The reality is, those who engaged in blatant theft of taxpayer dollars intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic should know that despite the passage of time, there is no free pass for their crimes and they will be vigorously prosecuted by the Office.”

“Agnello allegedly used over $1 Million in COVID relief funds for his own financial gain. Government money that was intended to assist struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Postal Inspectors will relentlessly pursue any individuals who scheme to defraud the government and steal taxpayer funds. We, along with our law enforcements partners, will not end this pursuit of justice until those who take advantage of the U.S. Mail to commit fraud are held fully accountable. Today’s guilty plea is proof of that fact. I would like to thank our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, for their work on this investigation,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Brubaker.

Congress created the EIDLP as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Enacted on March 29, 2020, the CARES Act provided emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the EIDLP, which provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.

As set forth in court filings, between April 2020 and November 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Agnello fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three EIDLP loans totaling approximately $1.1 million that he submitted on behalf of Crown Auto Parts & Recycling, LLC (Crown), a Jamaica, Queens-based business that he operated. As part of the scheme, Agnello submitted documentation to the Small Business Administration and financial institution responsible for disbursing the funds, that falsely claimed he had no criminal record when, in reality, he had a 2018 misdemeanor conviction. Agnello also submitted false information about the number of employees that worked for Crown and the intended use of the loan proceeds. Instead of using the funds for disaster relief, Agnello diverted them for his personal use, including by investing approximately $420,000 in a cryptocurrency business.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

CARMINE G. AGNELLO
Age: 38
Smithtown, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-366 (NJC)

Here's another news account of the case...


https://libn.com/2024/09/26/gotti-grandson-pleads-guilty-to-federal-fraud-charges/

Newsday....

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/john-gotti-grandson-loan-fraud-guilty-plea-sec1kdvu

30 years for that, wow!

Well, he technically has "exposure" and is facing a maximum sentence of 30 years. I doubt that he'll get such a sentence, but that's what the criminal statues are.

Here's another breakdown of the case in today's edition of Newsday...
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Carmine Agnello, John Gotti's grandson, pleads guilty to COVID-19 relief funds fraud

Updated September 26, 2024 9:59 pm

John Gotti's grandson faces up to 30 years in prison 
John Gotti's grandson, Carmine G. Agnello, 38, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving over $1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.  Credit: Newsday/James Carbone

The grandson of mob boss John J. Gotti pleaded guilty Thursday to fraudulently receiving about $1.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds meant to help struggling small businesses during the pandemic, money which he instead used for personal expenses including investing in cryptocurrency, prosecutors said.

Carmine G. Agnello, 38, of Smithtown — the grandson of the late Gotti, "The Teflon Don" who helmed the Gambino crime family, and one of three sons of Gotti's daughter Victoria — pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury in federal court in Central Islip to wire fraud in connection with his receipt of approximately $1.1 million in small business loans under the federal Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, prosecutors said.

"The defendant shamefully used the public health and economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to line his pockets with stolen funds," Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a prepared statement. "The reality is, those who engaged in blatant theft of taxpayer dollars intended to assist legitimate businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic should know that despite the passage of time, there is no free pass for their crimes and they will be vigorously prosecuted by the Office.” 
Agnello's Port Washington-based attorney James Froccaro declined to comment Thursday.

From April 2020 and November 2021, Agnello applied for and received at least three EIDLP loans totaling approximately $1.1 million on behalf of Crown Auto Parts & Recycling LLC, a Jamaica, Queens-based business that he operated, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Agnello submitted documentation to the Small Business Administration and the financial institution responsible for disbursing the funds that falsely claimed he had no criminal record and misstated the number of employees that worked for Crown and the intended use of the loan proceeds.

Agnello diverted the loan funds for his personal use, according to prosecutors, including investing approximately $420,000 into a cryptocurrency business.

And to the assertion that he had no criminal record, Agnello pleaded guilty in state court to a misdemeanor in 2018 for running an illegal auto recycling yard in Queens.

Agnello, who starred with his brothers and mother on the 2004 A&E reality series "Growing Up Gotti," faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as restitution totaling more than $940,000 and a fine of up to $2.2 million.

John Gotti was convicted in 1992 in connection with a slew of mob killings. He later died in prison.

NEWSDAY

"Up to 30 years"
Zero chance he gets 30 years, a guy did the same thing for more money, $5 million, and he was sentenced to 6.5 years.

https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2...4-8-million-cares-act-loan-fraud-scheme/

10 years, unless there is something more in the case.

Can't he rat on somebody? That would be beautiful

Minor non violent crime, which he plead guilty to. 4 years tops.