One in all two former FDNY chiefs indicted final yr in a federal bribery probe that accused the boys of exchanging bribes for fast-tracking inspections has been sentenced to twenty months in jail, officers introduced Monday.
Brian Cordasco, who pleaded responsible final October to conspiring to solicit and receives bribes, will observe up the jail time with two years of supervised launch. Cordasco was additionally fined $100,000 and, as a part of his plea deal, agreed to forfeit $57,000 for the bribes he accepted.
Cordasco was charged alongside Anthony Saccavino with conspiracy to solicit and obtain a bribe, solicitation and receipt of a bribe, sincere companies wire fraud, conspiracy to commit sincere companies wire fraud, and making false statements within the alleged scheme.
Prosecutors alleged the scheme lasted about two years, from 2021 by way of 2023, and mentioned the 2 collectively raked in $190,000. They initially every pled not responsible and had been launched on $250,000 bail.
In an announcement Monday, the commissioner for the town’s Division of Investigation warned that authorities officers who partake in bribes “do so at the risk of prison time.”
“By providing preferential treatment to clients of a former FDNY colleague, expediting their plan reviews and inspections in return for over $50,000 in bribes, the defendant prioritized his personal financial interests over delivering ethical leadership and equitable service to all New Yorkers,” Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber mentioned.
Cordasco, who pled responsible to 1 county of conspiracy to solicit and obtain a bribe in January, is scheduled to be sentenced in Might.
What had been the costs?
Cordasco and Saccavino had been accused of utilizing their authority because the top-ranking officers within the FDNY’s Bureau of Hearth Prevention to fast-track inspections and opinions for money. The BFP division is tasked with regulating the set up of fireplace security and suppression programs in buildings. Typically, BFP approvals are required for a constructing to be occupied or open to the general public.
Prosecutors claimed Saccavino and Cordasco, having joined the FDNY in 1995 and 2002, respectively, moved into the BFP in 2020, one yr earlier than turning into entangled within the alleged bribery scheme. The 2 had been accused of working with a 3rd man, a retired FDNY firefighter who began an “expediting” enterprise to assist folks and companies fast-track opinions and inspections.
Saccavino and Cordasco had been silent companions within the firm, and would obtain 30% kickbacks on the inspections they helped bump to the entrance of the road.
The bribery scheme began in earnest in the summertime of 2021, based on federal prosecutors, when BFP backlogs grew frustratingly lengthy attributable to staffing shortages and pandemic slowdowns. In April 2022, for instance, common wait instances for a fireplace alarm system plan overview lasted 13-16 weeks.
Over the course of two years, prosecutors mentioned they discovered cases of about 30 tasks that acquired a bump from Saccavino and Cordasco’s fast-tracking. Their work dried up in early 2023 following a “falling out” with the third co-conspirator, who allegedly didn’t pay the chiefs excellent bribe cash.
Prosecutors mentioned the FBI interviewed Saccavino and Cordasco in Feb. 2024 in regards to the alleged scheme, and claimed the 2 chiefs lied about their involvement within the kickback operation.
Of their roles as highest rating officer of the BFP and the second-in-command, Saccavino and Cordasco earned annual salaries of $263,478 and $257,296, based on the federal indictment. The FDNY confirmed each males retired previous to the indictment launch.
“Every member of the FDNY takes a sworn oath to conduct themselves honestly and ethically. Anything less will not be tolerated. The Department will fully cooperate with any ongoing investigations. Keeping New Yorkers safe remains our top priority,” Hearth Commissioner Robert Tucker mentioned in an announcement final month. Tucker mentioned the division will “fully cooperate” with the investigation.
Exterior the courthouse in September, neither Saccavino nor Cordasco commented, although legal professional Joseph Caldarera referred to as his consumer, Saccavino, “an American hero,” a 9/11 first responder who had been with the division since 1995. Prosecutors, he mentioned, “received the flawed man.”
“He vehemently denies all of the allegations against him today,” the lawyer mentioned. “Is this connected to City Hall? Is this connected to Eric Adams? I’m sure that’s the next big question. At this time we don’t know and we don’t have an answer to that question.”
Lawyer Frank Rothman, representing Cordasco, advised reporters that his consumer “has been a dedicated firefighter for two decades, serving fearlessly and faithfully,” adding that “this is indeed a sad and troubling day, but I’m glad he’s on his way home.”
