A woman who is married to an alleged mobster recently appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn NY and pleaded guilty to drug smuggling charges.

The defendant, Eleonora Gigliotti, was charged with conspiracy to import cocaine. She committed the federal drug crime in 2014 by arranging for two shipments of cocaine into the United States.

The total street value of the illegal narcotics, which weighed approximately 55 kilograms, was said to be more than $1 million. It was Gigliotti who allegedly delivered a $360K payment to drug dealers in Costa Rica and then had the drugs shipped to the U.S. as part of an international drug operation.

After an exhaustive investigation into the drug trafficking operation, federal law enforcement obtained arrest warrants and search warrants and arrested Gigliotti and her other family members. The suspects were subsequently charged with numerous federal crimes. Although a mental health examiner found that Gigliotti was not fit to stand trial, she was still incarcerated while the criminal charges remained pending and could have spent years behind bars awaiting resolution of the case. Moreover, a conviction on the federal drug crime charges could have led to a sentence of life imprisonment. Gigliotti eventually reached a plea deal with prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to drug importing conspiracy charges.

When Gigliotti, who is 56 years old, appears in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on April 12, 2017, she will be formally sentenced. At that time, Gigliotti will face a maximum sentence of more than 17 years in a federal penitentiary, with a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of five years. In addition to serving time behind bars, Gigliotti also must forfeit more than $1.6 million to the government.

Genovese Crime Family Associate Also Convicted of Cocaine Smuggling

Gigliotti is the wife of Gregorio Gigliotti, a reputed mobster with ties to the Genovese crime syndicate. Gigliotti’s husband and son were previously convicted of smuggling the cocaine into the country. According to federal prosecutors, the Gigliotti family concealed the illegal drugs in the flaps of yucca boxes and had the boxes shipped to a Bronx NY produce warehouse and then transported to their pizzeria in Queens, New York. The suspects used the pizza restaurant as a front for their drug trafficking operation, with financial records being doctored in order to cover up illegal drug transactions. Moreover, the suspects reportedly stashed illegal firearms in safes at the Queens pizzeria.

In July 2016, Gigliotti’s husband and son both went on trial for smuggling the cocaine into the country and running the drug distribution operation. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury deliberated for just three hours before rendering guilty verdicts against both defendants.

The male members of the Gigliotti family who were implicated in the illegal drug smuggling operation will be officially sentenced on March 20, 2017. Gregorio Gigliotti faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while Angelo Gigliotti, the son, could be sentenced to as many as 15 years in prison.

 

If you were arrested and charged with a drug crime in New York, a qualified criminal defense attorney is your best hope of beating the charges. The experienced criminal defense lawyers at the LaDuca Law Firm will help you fight the charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation at our office in Rochester, NY.