Gino DiGiovanni Jr.
DERBY — Former Alderman Gino DiGiovanni, Jr. has a plea bargain pending with federal prosecutors in connection to his Jan. 6 court case, NBC News reported on Tuesday (Dec. 19).
Click here to read the story from NBC.
DiGiovanni is scheduled to appear in federal court on Jan. 3, 2024 for an “arraignment/plea agreement hearing,” according to an entry in the case made on Dec. 18. Federal court cases are public documents that can be accessed through a website for a fee.
A separate filing on Dec. 18 shows DiGiovanni is now facing a single count of entering and remaining in a restricted building.
According to an arrest warrant, DiGiovanni was originally charged with:
Entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds
Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
Disorderly conduct in a Capitol building
Parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building
NBC News quoted DiGiovanni’s lawyer, Martin Minnella, told NBC News that DiGiovanni planned to plead guilty to a misdemeanor.
In federal courts, sentencing happens after a plea is agreed upon. Both the government and the defense write sentencing memos, arguing what the punishment should be.The maximum penalty for the federal misdemeanor is one year in prison.
The hearing on Jan. 3 is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Zoom in front of U.S. Judge James E. Boasberg.
DiGiovanni has repeatedly said he was at a rally to support President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, and that he was with a large crowd who breached the Capitol Building — but that he was not involved, nor did he see, violence or property damage.
DiGiovanni, in an interview with The Valley Indy in November 2022, said the weight of the crowd pushed him into the building, a police officer held the door open, and that he was in the building for a short time, damaging nothing.
DiGiovanni, a local contractor, is also a member of the Derby Planning & Zoning Commission, and he’s the chairman of the Derby Republican Town Committee.
He was the Republican nominee for Derby mayor, and he defeated incumbent Mayor Rich Dziekan during a Republican primary in September.
DiGiovanni came in third in the Nov. 7 city-wide election for mayor, which was won by Joe DiMartino, a Democrat.
As of July, 1,069 defendants had been charged with crimes connected to Jan. 6.
Sentences vary for defendants facing the same charge as DiGiovanni. Some got 24 months of probation, no jail time and were ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Others got probation and up to three months in jail.
