Jurors to begin deliberating in case against former DEA agent accused of taking bribes from Mafia

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jurors are scheduled to begin deliberations Wednesday in the corruption trial of a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in Buffalo. Joseph Bongiovanni is charged with accepting cash bribes to shield suspects with connections to organized crime. Federal prosecutors say Bongiovanni accepted more than $250,000 in bribes to derail drug investigations and to protect a strip club owned by a childhood friend that prosecutors say was a haven for drug use and sex trafficking. Bongiovanni denies the charges. His attorney told jurors that Bongiovanni did his job faithfully and without dishonesty.