Patrick Civitello, a 19-year-old from Schenectady, New York, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting a 15-year-old boy. The incident was in retaliation for the boy's mother testifying in a federal criminal trial. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the FBI.
Civitello is related to two individuals previously convicted on federal drug trafficking charges: his father Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and brother Jeffrey Civitello Jr., following an April 2023 jury trial in Albany. During this trial, a witness identified as V-1 provided testimony.
On May 19, 2024, Patrick Civitello encountered V-1 and her son (V-2) at a restaurant in Glenville, New York. While speaking on the phone with his incarcerated brother Jeffrey Jr., Patrick mentioned seeing V-1 enter the restaurant and expressed intent to retaliate against her for her testimony.
As V-1 and V-2 left the restaurant towards their vehicle, Patrick followed them outside. After removing personal items such as his watch and bag, he attacked V-2 by punching him in the head and continued assaulting him after he fell to the ground. The victim sustained minor injuries including abrasions and bruises.
FBI agents arrested Patrick Civitello on June 13, 2024. During transport to the FBI Albany Field Office, he questioned agents about whether they thought "the witness deserved it" and commented on betrayal within families.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino described the assault as an "attack on the justice system" that could deter future witnesses from testifying at trials. In addition to imprisonment, she imposed a $5,000 fine on Patrick Civitello along with three years of supervised release post-imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force with help from Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia handled prosecution duties.
