Another exponent close to the Arena gang, convicted as part of the «Jonny» investigation, was transferred to the Catanzaro prison where he will have to serve the remaining sentence of one year and one month in prison. This is Nicola Lentini, 39 years old, already detained and then released due to the expiry of the precautionary term. His father and brother were also investigated in the same investigation.
The «Jonny» operation, launched in May 2017 and coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) of Catanzaro, is one of the most impressive judicial investigations against the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta. The investigation revealed the widespread control of the territory and the illicit affairs of the Arena gang of Isola di Capo Rizzuto. The central element of the investigation concerned the systematic diversion of public funds intended for the management of the Reception Center for Asylum Seekers (CARA) in Isola di Capo Rizzuto. Of the approximately 103 million euros allocated by the State between 2006 and 2015, over 36 million euros ended up in the coffers of the Arena clan. The system was based on the subcontracting of catering and services to fictitious or gang-controlled companies, in the face of often terrible services provided to migrants.
Among the main arrestees were Leonardo Sacco, a well-known entrepreneur, then governor of the Fraternita della Misericordia, and the parish priest of Isola di Capo Rizzuto Edoardo Scordio, considered the decisive intermediaries in allowing the clan to infiltrate the management of reception funds. The investigation documented how the gang had also imposed its monopoly in the online betting and slot machine sector between Crotone and the province, generating millions in profits. The clan thoroughly controlled the local economic fabric through extortion from traders and tourist villages, imposing supplies and friendly companies. The operation, conducted by the Carabinieri, Police and Guardia di Finanza, led to 110 arrests and the seizure of assets worth over 84 million euros.