Key facts
- Carmine Agnello, grandson of mob boss John Gotti, has begun a 15-month prison sentence for fraud.
- Agnello attempted to delay his surrender to prison to donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti.
- U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury denied the request for a further deferral.
- The judge cited a lack of concrete evidence that an organ transplant would be scheduled.
- Agnello pleaded guilty to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining $1.1 million in COVID-19 relief loans.
Carmine Agnello, the reality TV star grandson of late mob boss John Gotti, has begun serving a 15-month prison sentence for fraud charges. Agnello was scheduled to report to the Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey in July but sought multiple delays, most recently claiming he needed to donate a kidney to his ailing mother, Victoria Gotti, who suffers from chronic kidney disease.
U.S. District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury ultimately denied the latest request for a deferral, stating there was no concrete evidence that an organ transplant would be scheduled between the current date and the requested September 18, 2026 surrender date. Agnello's lawyers argued that his mother's doctors needed more time to schedule the operation due to her ongoing infections, and that Agnello was a good match and wanted to remain available.
Prosecutors objected, noting that a medical report indicated Gotti's infections needed to be fully treated before any transplant could occur, suggesting the surgery was not imminent. Agnello pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud after fraudulently obtaining $1.1 million in COVID-19 relief loans for his company, Crown Auto Parts & Recycling LLC, by misrepresenting employment numbers, his criminal record, and the intended use of the funds. The company had ceased operations prior to the loan application, and Agnello used the funds for other ventures, including a $420,000 investment in a cryptocurrency business.
The prison where Agnello is now incarcerated, FCI Fairton, previously housed former New York Congressman George Santos, who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump.