The dramatic fall of Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, Connecticut’s former school construction chief, reached its peak Wednesday when a federal jury convicted him on multiple corruption charges — a verdict that painted a damning picture of power, greed, and betrayal inside the state’s billion-dollar school building program.
After nearly nine and a half hours of deliberation over three days, jurors found Diamantis guilty of accepting bribes, committing extortion, and lying to both the FBI and IRS, concluding that the once-prominent official used his public post to enrich himself while betraying taxpayers. Diamantis, stone-faced, sat quietly as the verdict was read.
A Web of Bribes and Lies
The May 2024 indictment charged Diamantis — then director of the Office of School Construction Grants and Review — with two counts of bribery, two of extortion, four of conspiracy, and 14 counts of lying to federal agents. Prosecutors dropped one lying charge mid-trial, leaving 21 counts before the jury.
Prosecutors said Diamantis struck illicit deals with subcontractor Acranom Masonry Inc., allegedly accepting cash in exchange for resolving a dispute over project delays in Hartford and securing Acranom’s role in later phases of construction.
On the witness stand, Diamantis admitted to taking money but claimed he did so as part of a legitimate “referral fee” arrangement. He cited McDonnell v. United States and U.S. v. Silver, arguing that his actions were permissible under existing precedent.
