Former Senior Lamont Administration Official Kosta Diamantis Fails to Appear for Sentencing

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut — Konstantinos "Kosta" Diamantis, a former Democratic state representative and former senior official in Governor Ned Lamont's administration, failed to appear in federal court Thursday for his scheduled sentencing on 21 public corruption convictions.

His attorney, Norm Pattis, reportedly told the court that Diamantis had left the United States and traveled to Greece.

Diamantis served as deputy secretary of Connecticut's Office of Policy and Management and directed the Office of School Construction Grants and Review during the Lamont administration.

In that position, he controlled the state office responsible for administering grants for publicly funded school construction projects across Connecticut.

Diamantis has not been sentenced because he did not appear in court.

According to information reported from the federal courthouse, Diamantis called his attorney and disclosed that he would not appear for the September 17 sentencing hearing.

He reportedly traveled from the Bahamas to London before continuing to Greece.

The information about his location currently comes from his attorney. Federal authorities have not publicly confirmed his exact location.

Diamantis previously sought permission to travel to Greece while released on bond. That request was denied after prosecutors raised concerns that he could claim Greek citizenship and avoid returning to the United States.

Additional information is expected concerning his bond, a possible federal arrest warrant and whether the United States will seek his return from Greece.

Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill to sentence Diamantis to between 121 and 151 months in prison.

The maximum recommendation equals approximately 12 years and seven months.

Prosecutors argued that a substantial prison sentence was justified by the seriousness of the offenses, Diamantis' abuse of a position of public trust and what they described as his lack of acceptance of responsibility.

His defense requested probation and home detention. Pattis cited Diamantis' age, health, financial condition, loss of professional status and the fact that the offenses were not physically violent.

Diamantis was released on a $500,000 bond before Thursday's hearing.

Diamantis held significant authority within the Lamont administration as deputy secretary of the Office of Policy and Management.

He simultaneously directed the Office of School Construction Grants and Review, which supervised state funding for public school construction projects.

The federal case concerned conduct between 2018 and 2021, including years when Diamantis served in the Lamont administration.

He was removed from his school construction position in October 2021 and left his position at the Office of Policy and Management.

Before serving in the executive branch, Diamantis completed seven terms as a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing Bristol.

There is no allegation in this case that Governor Lamont participated in the bribery or extortion scheme for which Diamantis was convicted.

Federal prosecutors accused Diamantis of using his government position to demand payments from contractors involved in publicly funded school construction projects.

A federal jury found him guilty in October 2025 on 21 counts involving bribery, extortion, conspiracy and making false statements to federal investigators.

Diamantis testified in his own defense. He acknowledged receiving money from contractors but maintained that the payments were for legitimate consulting, networking and legal services rather than bribes.

The jury rejected his defense and returned guilty verdicts on all 21 counts.

Diamantis also faces a separate federal corruption case involving allegations that he accepted money to interfere with a state audit of an eye care business connected to a former state representative.

Those charges remain allegations. Diamantis has not been convicted in that separate case and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

His failure to appear for sentencing could create additional legal consequences. However, federal prosecutors and the court had not released complete information about those consequences at the time of publication.

This is a developing story.

The New England Voice will update this report when the federal court or the United States Attorney's Office confirms whether an arrest warrant has been issued and what steps may be taken to locate and return Diamantis to Connecticut.

The report that Diamantis traveled to Greece is attributed to his attorney, Norm Pattis. Federal authorities had not independently confirmed Diamantis' exact location or publicly announced an arrest warrant when this article was prepared.