Veteran DEA Agent Sentenced to 4 Years for Leaking Intelligence in Miami Bribery Conspiracy

Veteran DEA Agent Sentenced to 4 Years for Leaking Intelligence in Miami Bribery Conspiracy
John Costanzo Jr. mugshot taken in the Southern District of New York on Oct. 26, 2023. U.S. Attorney's Office via AP, File
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NEW YORK—A federal judge Wednesday sentenced a longtime U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent to four years in prison for leaking DEA intelligence to defense lawyers in a $100,000 bribery scheme that prosecutors said jeopardized drug cases and the lives of confidential informants.

John Costanzo Jr. was found guilty last year of bribery and honest-services wire fraud, joining a growing list of DEA agents convicted of federal crimes. Another former DEA supervisor, Manny Recio, is scheduled to be sentenced next month in the same case.