The sentence has arrived in the trial born from the “Libera Fortezza” operation, where in June 2020 over 300 soldiers including carabinieri and financiers were mobilized, is directed against individuals belonging to or adjacent to the ‘Ndrangheta “Longo-Versace” gang of Polistena , held responsible, in various capacities, for the crimes of mafia-type association, usury, extortion, money laundering, carrying out abusive financial activities, illegal possession of weapons, all aggravated by the mafia’s purpose and method. 22 arrests had been made and assets worth 5 million euros were seized.
The Court of Palmi issued the following sentence with the reduction of some crimes for which some suspects were acquitted, the mafia association does not hold for all the accused, but the sentences are limited to the crime of usury:
THE NAMES
Nicola Auddino, 47 years old, from Polistena sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison;
Pasquale Candiloro, 1 year and 4 months (with conditional suspension of the sentence);
Claudio Circosta, 35 years old, from Polistena, 4 years and 6 months;
Francesco Circosta, 41 years old, from Polistena, 4 years and 6 months;
Domenico Giardino, 54 years old, from Polistena, 5 and 3 months;
Salvatore Iannizzi, 51 years old, from Cinquefrondi, 3 years old;
Serafino Iannizzi, 45 years old, from Cinquefrondi, 4 years and 9 months;
Fabio Ientile, 3 years and 6 months;
Agostino Alessandro Iaropoli, 45 years old, from Polistena, placed under house arrest;
Fabio Ierace, 52 years old, from Polistena, 5 years and 3 months;
Diego Lamanna, 41 years old, from Polistena, 5 years old;
Francesco Longo, 52 years old, from Polistena, 4 years and 3 months;
Rocco Longo, 27 years old, from Polistena, placed under house arrest;
Cesare Longordo, 54 years old, from Polistena, 8 years and 3 months;
Giuseppe Napoli, 3 years and 6 months;
Vincenzo Politanò, 49 years old, from Polistena;
Maria Pronestì, 44 years old, from Galatro;
Antonio Raco, 37 years old, from Polistena, 4 years and 9 months;
Vincenzo Rao, 45 years old, from Polistena, 10 years old;
Francesco Domenico Sposato, 49 years old, from Taurianova;
Giovanni Sposato, 52 years old, from Taurianova, 3 years old;
Mariaconcetta Tibullo, 37 years old, from Polistena, 3 years old;
Andrea Valerioti, 38 years old, from Polistena, 4 years old;
Luigi Versace, 38 years old, from Cinquefrondi, 11 years and 6 months;
Antonio Zerbi, 61 years old, from Polistena, 5 years.
Cesare Longordo, Vincenzo Rao and Luigi Versace were subjected to probation for 3 years with the sentence served “subject to verification of their social dangerousness”.
Confiscation of assets for approximately 200 thousand euros.
They were acquitted of some crimes:
Nicola Auddino (because the fact does not exist for three counts); Cutano Antonio, Cutano Francesco, Cutano Luigi, Ierace Antonio, Longo Domenico, Longo Vincenzo, Palermo Ruggero and Tibullo Maria Concetta for not having committed the crime. Instead Salvatore Iannizzi, Serafino Iannizzi, Iaropoli Agstino, Ientile Francesco, Ierace Fabio, Francesco Longo, Rocco Longo, Cesare Longordo, Vincenzo Politanò, Pronestì Maria, Rao Vincenzo, Andrea Valerioti, Versace Luigi, Zerbi Antoio, because the fact does not exist for some crimes charged against them.
Furthermore, the ineffectiveness of the precautionary measure for Cutano Antonio, Cutano Francesco, Cutano Luigi, Giardino Domenico, Iannizzi Serafino, Ierace Antonio, Lamanna Diego, Longo Domenico, Longo Francesco, Palermo Ruggero, and Valerioti Andrea is declared and “orders its immediate liberation”.
