Fugitive ex-CT official sentenced to prison

Former state school construction chief and current international fugitive Konstantinos Diamantis was sentences in absentia to seven years in prison Wednesday, a week after turning down an offer from the FBI to fly him back to Connecticut.

Arrest and charges

“I am not sentencing Mr. Diamantis for this flight, I am not adding to his sentence because of it.

I was tempted to do that,” Underhill said. “The consequences of the flight to his life will be dealt with, without the sentence.”

“The factors that are the most important for me to deal with is the seriousness of the crime.

He breached the trust of the people,” Underhill said.

“The public needs to know that public servants, whether elected or appointed, are acting in the people’s interests,” the judge said.

Underhill dismissed Diamantis’ claims, in non-stop telephone interviews with reporters and in a statement his lawyer Norm Pattis read before sentencing that his prosecution was the result of a conspiracy to silence him from exposing corruption by other public officials.

Charges and court proceedings

U.S. District Court Judge Stefan Underhill said he was sentenced below the federal guideline recommendation of 10 to 12 years, in part because of Diamantis’ age and the fact that his conviction has ruined him financially.