Retired NYC firefighter chiefs arrested on alleged corruption

Two former chiefs from the New York City Fire Department were arrested Monday after investigators closed in on a yearlong corruption investigation.

The now-retired chiefs were arrested after allegedly accepting $190,000 in bribes in exchange for expediting inspections, according to the indictment that was unsealed Monday in a Manhattan federal court. In recent weeks, dozens of high-ranking New York City officials have been involved with four separate federal corruption investigations , but there is no indication at this time that these arrests are connected to those federal investigations, according to the New York Times .

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that retired Chief Brian Cordasco was arrested at his home on Staten Island, and retired Chief Anthony Saccavino was arrested at his home in Manhattan. The New York City Department of Investigation also searched FDNY headquarters.

Both Cordasco and Saccavino were responsible for overseeing safety inspections on building projects under the FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention. The indictment alleges that both men used their high-ranking positions for their own financial gain.

According to the indictment, Saccavino and Cordasco "repeatedly abused their positions of trust as high-ranking officials in the New York City Fire Department" by soliciting and accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for providing preferential treatment to individuals and companies involved with the bribes. Each of them is alleged to have accepted nearly $100,000 in bribes.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Saccavino and Cordasco’s involvement in the alleged bribery scheme may have been uncovered during the investigation into whether the campaign for New York City Mayor Eric Adams illegally received free upgrades on Turkish Airlines from Turkey in exchange for expediting the inspection of the new Turkish consulate, according to the outlet.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Adams’s office for comment.