Ex-CT state rep. pleads guilty in extortion case. He could be witness in trial of second ex-official

Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant on Nov 26, 2025

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Former state legislator Christopher Ziogas pleaded guilty to extortion and bank fraud charges Wednesday, admitting his involvement in a scheme to derail a government audit of his fiancé’s optometry practice by delivering nearly $100,000 to former state budget officer Konstantinos Diamantis

The unscheduled guilty plea by Ziogas Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Haven sets him up as a prospective witness when Diamantis is scheduled to be tried in February for his role in orchestrating what prosecutors said was a scheme to kill a state Medicaid audit of Family Eye Care, the Bristol business run by Ziogas fiancé Helen Zervas.

If Diamantis’ trial goes forward in February, it will be his second on corruption charges in a matter of months. He was convicted in late October of nearly two dozen crimes for using his position as deputy budget director and overseer of the state’s school building program to steer contracts and collect bribes from builders.

Federal prosecutors disclosed the charges against Diamantis in the Medicaid conspiracy while he was awaiting trial in the school building case. He has turned down plea bargain deals in both cases. He faces 10 years or more for convictions in the school case and as much again if convicted in the second trial.

Federal prosecutors say the Medicaid case grew out of notice Zervas received in January 2020 that her optometry practice was going to be examined by state auditors looking for fraudulent Medicaid billings.

“Zervas knew that she had been engaged in a years-long scheme to fraudulently overbill Medicaid for medical services that she had not performed or that were not medically necessary, all in order to increase her compensation,” according to the indictment in the case.

After seeking legal advice and learning that she could face professional discipline or arrest, Zervas asked Ziogas. He turned to Diamantis, 69, a friend and fellow state legislator who agreed to use his position as a senior budget officer to neutralize the audit, according to the indictment.

Diamantis received a total of $95,000 from Zervas and delivered by Ziogas in three payments.

The state officials responsible for the audit eventually dropped it and agreed to a financial settlement from Zervas after what the indictment describes as direct and indirect pressure from Diamantis.

In May 2020, Diamantis and Ziogas delivered a settlement check from Family Eye Care for $599,810 to the Department of Social Services, which is responsible for administering the Medicaid program.

According to the indictment, three unidentified DSS employees were pressed by Diamantis to agree to the settlement.

Ziogas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and making false statements and faces a sentence of from 70 to 87 months under the guidelines used in federal court. He had previously pleaded not guilty.

Ziogas is free on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing, which is currently scheduled for February 18.

Zervas pleaded guilty earlier this year to committing health care fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion. She is awaiting sentencing.