Ex-DEA agent accused of taking bribes to protect friends
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A federal prosecutor is accusing a former agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration of taking bribes to protect his friends and associates from criminal investigation.
Prosecutor James Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that longtime agent Joseph Bongiovanni has been arraigned on an 11-count indictment. The indictment includes charges for obstruction of justice and making false statements.
The prosecutor says the 55-year-old former agent thought that people he knew had ties to organized crime.
Kennedy accused Bongiovanni of taking at least a quarter million dollars in bribes between 2008 and 2017.
A phone message requesting comment was left for Bongiovanni's attorney.
The DEA's special agent in charge of the New York division says the agency fully cooperates with such investigations.
---------
Get breaking news alerts in the FOX5NY News app. It is FREE!
---------