Schenectady man pleads guilty to witnessing revenge after teen attacked

ALBANY, NEW YORK — Patrick Civitello, 18, of Schenectady, N.Y., pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to witness retaliation, admitting he assaulted a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal trial regarding the drug trade. This was announced by US Attorney Carla B. Friedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany field office.

Civitello, the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both convicted in April 2023 of federal drug charges, admitted in court to assaulting the mother, identified as V-1, who testified against his family members. On May 19, 2024, Civitello met V-1 and her son (identified as V-2) at a restaurant in Glenville, New York. During a telephone conversation with his imprisoned brother, Civitello expressed his intention to “smash” the V-1, implying that he planned to take revenge.

As V-1 and V-2 left the restaurant and headed for their car, Civitello followed them into the parking lot, briefly removing his watch and bag before rushing towards the pair. He began punching V-2 in the head, continuing to punch and kick even after the boy fell to the ground. B-2 received light bodily injuries, including bruises and bruises on the head, neck, and hand.

Civitello was arrested on June 13, 2024 and has been in custody since then. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2025, and faces up to life in prison with five years of supervised release. The sentence will be determined by a federal judge based on the specific laws violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other relevant factors.