Diamantis, 67, is accused by the FBI of extorting private contractors into paying him thousands of dollars in bribes as the director of the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review. A lawyer and former state representative, Diamantis posted a $500,000 bond following his arrest on 22 charges, including extortion, bribery, conspiracy and making false statements from 2018 to 2021. He is alleged to have demanded and received tens of thousands of dollars in payments in exchange for directing work on large state-funded construction projects. In its portfolio of projects, Acranom lists the Litchfield Courthouse saying construction required 282,000 bricks while working with the KBE Corp. The project began in 2014 and was completed in 2017. Diamantis made it clear through messages that he expected a percentage of the contract fee. Courthouse construction projects, like school projects, are handled by the Department of Administrative Services.
