Schenectady man admits to hitting son of witness in drug trial

A Schenectady man has admitted to hitting a 15-year-old in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying at his family’s drug trafficking trial.

Patrick Civitello, 18, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to witness retaliation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., who were convicted in April 2023 following a jury trial.

The assault happened on May 19, 2024 outside the Water’s Edge Restaurant in Glenville. Patrick Civiello saw the witness with her 15-year-old son. Civitello was talking on the phone with his brother and told him “I gotta rag this bitch. I gotta call you back.”

When the victims left the restaurant, Civitello punches the teen in the head and continues to punch and kick him when he hits the ground, prosecutors said. The teen had cuts and bruises to his head, neck and hand. 

Civitello has been in jail since his arrest in June. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2025.

Jeffrey C. Civitello was sentenced to 11 years in prison for trafficking cocaine, marijuana and possessing two firearms.  

Civitello also was found guilty at a trial in April 2023 of working with his father, Jeffrey C. Civitello Sr., and three New York City-area men to traffic about 15 kilograms of cocaine in March and April 2021. Civitello Sr. was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison.