Considered one of two former FDNY chiefs indicted final yr in a federal bribery probe that accused the lads 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 comply with 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 providers wire fraud, conspiracy to commit sincere providers wire fraud, and making false statements within the alleged scheme.
Prosecutors alleged the scheme lasted about two years, from 2021 via 2023, and stated the 2 collectively raked in $190,000. They initially every pled not responsible and have been launched on $250,000 bail.
In a press release 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 stated.
Cordasco, who pled responsible to 1 county of conspiracy to solicit and obtain a bribe in January, is scheduled to be sentenced in Could.
What have been the costs?
Cordasco and Saccavino have been accused of utilizing their authority because the top-ranking officers within the FDNY’s Bureau of Hearth Prevention to fast-track inspections and critiques for money. The BFP division is tasked with regulating the set up of fireside security and suppression techniques in buildings. Most often, 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 changing into entangled within the alleged bribery scheme. The 2 have been accused of working with a 3rd man, a retired FDNY firefighter who began an “expediting” enterprise to assist individuals and companies fast-track critiques and inspections.
Saccavino and Cordasco have 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, in accordance with federal prosecutors, when BFP backlogs grew frustratingly lengthy as a result of staffing shortages and pandemic slowdowns. In April 2022, for instance, common wait instances for a hearth alarm system plan evaluate lasted 13-16 weeks.
Over the course of two years, prosecutors stated they discovered situations of about 30 initiatives that obtained 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 stated 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, in accordance with 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 stated in a press release final month. Tucker stated the division will “fully cooperate” with the investigation.
Outdoors 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 stated, “acquired the unsuitable man.”
“He vehemently denies all of the allegations against him today,” the lawyer stated. “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.”
