Bribery Scandal Rocks FDNY: Former Chiefs Indicted for $190K Pay-to-Play Scheme

Two former FDNY chiefs have been indicted for accepting over $190,000 in bribes to expedite fire safety inspections and plan reviews in NY.Photo byUS Dept of Justice

By Kristy Tallman, September 16, 2024

NEW YORK, NY — Two former chiefs of the New York City Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP), Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco, have been indicted on multiple charges of bribery, corruption, and making false statements. The charges were announced today by Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, detailing a multi-year scheme in which the defendants solicited and accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for fast-tracking fire safety plan reviews and inspections.

From 2021 to 2023, Saccavino and Cordasco abused their positions of trust within the FDNY by conspiring with a retired firefighter identified as CC-1, who ran an expediting business. The scheme worked as follows:

• CC-1 promised clients that, for a fee, he could expedite their fire safety plan reviews and inspections, which are typically handled on a first-come, first-served basis within the BFP.
• In return, Saccavino and Cordasco directed BFP personnel to prioritize these clients' projects, bypassing the standard processing order. This was done despite long wait times for plan reviews and inspections during the pandemic.
• The bribery payments, totaling more than $190,000, were funneled to Saccavino and Cordasco through cash payments, checks, and electronic transfers.

The indictment outlines that Saccavino and Cordasco orchestrated this pay-to-play scheme to expedite fire alarm system inspections and plan reviews across approximately 30 projects in New York City, including apartment buildings, restaurants, hotels, and bars. They misled BFP employees by falsely claiming that some of these projects were receiving priority due to instructions from City Hall when, in reality, it was part of the bribery scheme.

In February 2024, the two men were interviewed by the FBI, during which they made false statements to federal investigators in an attempt to hide their involvement in the scheme. Both men are charged with:

• Conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe
• Solicitation and receipt of a bribe
• Honest services wire fraud
• Conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud
• Making false statements to investigators

This case, which highlights a significant breach of trust and corruption within the FDNY, will be further discussed in a press conference led by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alongside Jocelyn E. Strauber, DOI Commissioner, and James E. Dennehy, FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge, at 11:30 AM ET today.

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By Kristy Tallman, September 16, 2024
The Republic News

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office

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