Retired DEA Special Agent Found Guilty of one Count of Obstruction of Justice and One count of False Statements

On April 12, 2024, a retired DEA Special Agent previously assigned to the DEA’s New York Division in Buffalo, New York was found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice and one count of false statements. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit bribery, two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, two counts of public official accepting a bribe, five additional counts of obstruction of justice, and one additional count of false statements. The jury found the retired special agent not guilty on one additional count of obstruction of justice. Joseph Bongiovanni, who retired from the DEA while under investigation by the OIG, was convicted in the Western District of New York. According to the evidence presented at trial, from on or about February 1, 2019, through on or about June 6, 2019, Bongiovanni knowingly concealed and covered up records, documents, and tangible objects of the DEA with intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation regarding the nature of the relationship between Bongiovanni and individuals involved in drug trafficking activities by unlawfully taking, removing, concealing, and storing a DEA working case file at his residence.  Additionally, on or about June 6, 2019, Bongiovanni willfully and knowingly made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations to Special Agents of the OIG and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) regarding Bongiovanni’s reason for removing the DEA working case file and storing it at his residence. The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s New York Office, the FBI, and HSI.