Carmine Agnello Plea with no Jail Time

[Fughedaboutit]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... _me_2.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Mafia member Carmine "The Bull" Agnello accepted a plea deal Thursday to avoid prison time, but he will be forced to repay the more than $180,000 that law enforcement spent investigating him in "Operation Goodfella."

Agnello, a former member of the Gambino family crime syndicate, was arrested nearly two years ago during an early-morning raid at his Cleveland auto body shop. He was slapped with more than a dozen charges, including racketeering and conspiracy, that accused him of running an illegal $4.2 million car-scrapping scheme out of the shop.

In stark contrast to a televised news conference announcing his July 15, 2015 arrest, Agnello pleaded guilty Thursday in a courtroom with no spectators or cameras. Agnello admitted to three offenses -- polluting the environment, being a felon in possession of a weapon and defrauding a towing company.

Judge Steve Gall imposed a sentence of one year's probation. Gaul also imposed a $10,000 fine.

Agnello also agreed to pay the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the Cleveland Division of Police and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District a combined $170,000 for the cost of the years-long investigation that ended up netting no jail time.


In exchange for the plea, Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Matthew Meyer dismissed more than a dozen other charges, including racketeering and conspiracy charges that could have sent him to prison for decades. Meyer also dropped all charges against Agnello's wife, Danielle Agnello, and his business, Eagle Auto Parts, who were represented by defense attorney Angelo Lonardo.

Agnello can keep operating his scrap yard, and prosecutors agreed to return all of the heavy equipment seized during the probe plus two shotguns found during a search of his home near Bentleyville. Because Agnello served seven years in a New York federal prison on racketeering charges also involving a scrap yard, he agreed to give the weapons to an associate and "have no access to them," Meyer said.

Defense attorney Ian Friedman said Agnello is pleased with the deal, grateful to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley and his office for offering it and relieved to get back to work.

A spokesman for O'Malley's office declined to comment on the deal.

Agnello was accused of illegally weighing down cars with dirt and sand at his shop and then selling them for scrap metal. Police and prosecutors alleged that Agnello defrauded a scrap metal processing company, Ferrous Processing and Trading, of $4.2 million over the last three years using this technique, and bribed employees to look the other way.

Undercover officers infiltrated Agnello's business beginning in 2013, and investigators used wiretaps to monitor Agnello's communications with Mafia contacts back in New York, prosecutors said.

The case was meant to send a message, former Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said in a statement at the time of his arrest.

"I commend the courage, bravery, and tenacity of the undercover police officers who risked their lives to expose ongoing mafia activity in Cleveland and New York," McGinty said in the statement. "We will vigorously pursue criminal prosecutions against any mafia activity in Cleveland and will indict any offense they commit until they get the message that Cleveland is closed for mafia business."

In the end, Agnello pleaded guilty to violating an environmental protection statute by leaving a fire hose in a puddle of oil, and pleading no contest to being a felon in possession of a gun and stealing between $7,500 and $150,000 from Ferrous Processing and Trading.

Agnello's attorneys, Friedman and Roger Synenberg, argued from the beginning that the allegations that Agnello was seeking to set up his own wing of the criminal syndicate here were baseless and he was targeted solely for his previous ties.

Agnello's ex-wife, reality TV start Victoria Gotti, is the daughter of the late mobster John Gotti. Agnello spent seven years in a New York federal prison for racketeering and tax evasion stemming from a sting operation also involving a scrap yard.

In 2008, following his release from prison, he married Danielle Vanger, the daughter of convicted Armenian activist Mourad Topalian. The couple live in a secluded neighborhood near Bentleyville.

Asked after Thursday's plea whether he felt McGinty's office had overcharged Agnello, Friedman reiterated that, after spending two years arguing the same, he felt the ending to the case was "fair and just."

"I think the resolution of this case speaks to that," he said.

[BillyBrizzi]

This is a very sweet deal, especially if he really made 4.2 million dollar with that scam.

[Cheech]

all these cases wind up to be shit. waste of time

[SonnyBlackstein]

In the end, Agnello pleaded guilty to violating an environmental protection statute by leaving a fire hose in a puddle of oil...

What. A. Joke.

[Fughedaboutit]

They paraded him out on rico charges acting like he was gonna get 20 years and was the second coming of Gotti...

and in the end...this

LE looks dumb again. They are on a losing streak.

[100100]

How long has it been since he's been nonexistent as a gambino member?

[SonnyBlackstein]

LE looks dumb again. They are on a losing streak.

Yup.

Alot of face riding on the Madonna et al bust.

[Pogo The Clown]

who were represented by defense attorney Angelo Lonardo.

Any relation to the Cleveland mobs Angelo Lonardo?


Pogo

[Snakes]

Wow, might get into the scrap fraud business if that's the worst I'd get.

[Fughedaboutit]

Wow, might get into the scrap fraud business if that's the worst I'd get.

lmao you and me both

Lets start a business.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Wow, might get into the scrap fraud business if that's the worst I'd get.

I was going to suggest hes a dry snitch as I'm so shocked at the penalty but he's no longer part of the syndicate so whats he got to give up?

Truly one of the all time gifts.

One can only hope the fat prick starts thinking he's invincible and gets done again and the judge having her generosity thrown back in her face throws the proverbial at him.

[Stroccos]

who were represented by defense attorney Angelo Lonardo.

Any relation to the Cleveland mobs Angelo Lonardo?


Pogo

edited my post to Nephew

[Pogo The Clown]

Thanks for the info. The son had to be ancient at this point. Also good to see you posting again.


Pogo

[Stroccos]

Thanks for the info. The son had to be ancient at this point. Also good to see you posting again.


Pogo

My mistake Its his nephew, been on a nice vacation and unplugged from the net .

[joeycigars]

One year's probation and a $10,000 fine then repay the $180,000 that law enforcement spent investigating him,

Never would predict this as a outcome of this case in a million tries ,
The Feds said he could never run a scarp business again on the first bust in NY .. now he gets this , I dont get it.... I really dont ...Agnello can keep operating his scrap yard, and prosecutors agreed to return all of the heavy equipment seized during the probe plus two shotguns found during a search of his home , .............Whats wrong with this picture ?