- Carmine Agnello tried to stave off his fraud sentence by claiming he would donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti, who suffers from chronic kidney disease.
- A judge ordered Agnello to go to prison, rejecting the transplant delay.
Carmine Agnello, grandson of late mob boss John Gotti, has begun serving his prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in New Jersey after a judge denied his request for a delay based on his mother's health.1
Agnello, who gained fame on the reality show Growing Up Gotti, was initially scheduled to report to prison in July but received a temporary reprieve until September 18.
US District Court Judge Nusrat Choudhury allowed the delay under the assumption that Agnello would donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti, who suffers from chronic kidney disease. However, with no surgery scheduled, Choudhury ordered Agnello to surrender immediately.
Agnello's attorney indicated that surgeons required more time to set a date for the operation due to complications from infections affecting Victoria Gotti. Prosecutors countered that a medical report indicated that doctors were still working to identify the cause of these infections, and no transplant could occur until they were resolved.
In 2024, Agnello pleaded guilty to wire fraud, having fraudulently obtained $1.1 million in loans from a federal program designed to assist small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case highlights the intersection of celebrity, crime, and the legal system, as Agnello's reality TV background contrasts sharply with the serious nature of his legal troubles.
“Agnello had argued he needed to donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti, who suffers from chronic kidney disease. The judge's ruling sends him to federal prison despite the medical plea.”
