Carmine Agnello Ordered to Begin Prison Sentence After Kidney Donation Delay Rejected

Carmine Agnello, the grandson of late mob boss John Gotti, has been ordered to begin his 15-month federal prison sentence after a judge rejected his request for more time to donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti.

Agnello, 40, was originally scheduled to report to prison on July 20 after pleading guilty in September 2024 to a $1.1 million COVID-19 fraud scheme. Judge Nusrat Choudhury later delayed his surrender to give him time to donate a kidney to his mother, 63, who is suffering from kidney failure.

The judge initially allowed Agnello to remain out of prison until August 10 if the transplant had not taken place. On August 10, his lawyer, Robert Beltrani, asked for another delay, arguing that Agnello should remain available until September 18 because doctors were still treating his mother’s infections.

Prosecutors opposed the request, noting that the transplant had not been scheduled and that Victoria’s recurring infections had already forced potential procedures to be canceled.

Choudhury rejected the request, saying there was “no concrete evidence” that a transplant would be scheduled between August 10 and September 18. She ordered Agnello to surrender to federal authorities by 4 p.m. on August 10.

Agnello’s lawyer had argued that sending him to prison immediately could prevent him from serving as his mother’s living donor. He said Agnello remained willing to comply with the court’s order and was only seeking additional time while doctors determined whether Victoria could safely undergo the transplant.