Operation “Athena” against piloted judicial auctions, 17 precautionary measures, also involved a lawyer from Syracuse

An investigation coordinated by the District Attorney’s Office and conducted by the Carabinieri of the Paternò Company led to the arrest of 17 people involved in a vast criminal network active between Catania, Syracuse and Teramo

The accusations range from mafia association to drug trafficking, from corruption to the disturbed freedom of auctions, aggravated by the use of mafia methods.

The operation, called ‘Athena’, originates from the complaint of an entrepreneur threatened by mafia members to force him to withdraw from an auction for the purchase of land. Among those under investigation is also a lawyer from Syracuse, sales representative, who allegedly manipulated the outcome of an auction to favor the awarding of an apartment to the son of one of the mafia affiliates.

The arrests shed light on the activities of the Morabito-Rapisarda group, linked to the Laudani clan of Catania and active in the Paternò area. The investigation revealed how this organization exercised systematic control over judicial real estate auctions, influencing the outcomes through intimidation and violence, thus guaranteeing its affiliates the purchase or recovery of valuable assets.

The gang’s modus operandi included the presence of connected subjects during auctions, ready to use force to dissuade other possible buyers, creating an environment of fear and submission that allowed clan members to obtain what they wanted at advantageous prices or, in some cases, not at all.

PERSONS RECIPIENT TO THE MEASURE OF CUSTODY IN PRISON:

1) APOLITO Adriano, born in Paternò on 01.08.1988;

2) BENVENGA Natale, born in Catania on 04.05.1962;

3) CIRINO Pietro, born in Paternò on 01.22.1965;

4) CUNSOLO Filippo, born in Paternò on 06.07.1963;

5) CUNSOLO Vincenzo, born in Paternò on 06.10.1968;

6) DI PERNA Francesco, born in Paternò on 01.07.1963;

7) OLIVERI Carmelo, born in Paternò on 02.18.1980;

8) PENNISI Emanuele Salvatore, born in Paternò on 06.03.1977;

9) PUGLISI Pietro, born in Paternò on 11.08.1974;

10) RAPISARDA Andrea, born in Paternò on 06.05.2002;

11) RAPISARDA Antonino, born in Paternò on 01.09.1970;

12) RAPISARDA Vincenzo, born in Catania on 04.21.1995;

13) SINATRA Andrea, born in Paternò on 11.30.2001;

14) SPATULA Angelo, born in Paternò on 15.01.1976;

15) VERZÌ Carmelo, born in Paternò on 07.08.1995.

PERSONS RECIPIENT TO THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE OF HOUSE ARREST WITH ELECTRONIC BRACELET:

16) MORABITO Vincenzo, born in Paternò on 10.16.1960.

The Syracuse lawyer involved, for whom a ban from professional activity was requested “limited to the exercise of the functions of sales delegate” is VOJVODIC Gianfranco, 59 years old, originally from Licodia Eubea.