Former Connecticut Official Escapes to Greece Ahead of Sentencing

WHO:

Boston.com - Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, a former Connecticut state budget official and Democratic state representative.

ABC News - Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill, and Diamantis' lawyer, Norman Pattis.

WHAT:

Boston.com - Diamantis was convicted by a federal jury of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes.

ABC News - Diamantis fled the U.S. by boat and plane before his sentencing for corruption and is now a fugitive in Greece.

ABC News - Diamantis could have faced more than 10 years in prison at his sentencing.

ABC News - Federal prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 10 to 12 years for Diamantis.

ABC News - Pattis argued for a sentence that included no prison time but strict conditions of release.

ABC News - Diamantis was convicted of using his position to demand and receive bribes from contractors from 2018 to 2021.

WHERE:

Boston.com - The events took place in Connecticut, specifically related to multimillion-dollar school construction contracts.

ABC News - Diamantis fled from Florida to the Bahamas and then to London before arriving in Greece.

WHEN:

ABC News - A new sentencing date was set for Sept. 30.

ABC News - Diamantis was convicted by a federal jury last year.

WHY:

ABC News - Diamantis claimed that Governor Lamont weaponized the justice system against him, stating that he was afraid to go to prison.

ABC News - Diamantis expressed that he lost everything he earned due to the prosecution, including his home and job.

HOW:

ABC News - Diamantis traveled by boat from Florida to the Bahamas and then boarded a plane to London.

ABC News - Although he surrendered his U.S. passport, he obtained a Greek passport to facilitate his escape.

(UPDATED September 17, 2026 21:01 UTC)

Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, a former Connecticut state budget official and Democratic state representative, has been convicted by a federal jury of extorting private contractors for thousands of dollars in bribes, and he is now a fugitive in Greece after fleeing the U.S. by boat and plane before his sentencing. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison sentence of 10 to 12 years for Diamantis, who could have faced more than a decade in prison, but his lawyer argued for no prison time with strict conditions of release instead. A new sentencing date has been set for September 30, as Diamantis claims that Governor Ned Lamont weaponized the justice system against him, resulting in the loss of everything he earned, including his home and job.