FDNY Fire Safety Chief to Plead Guilty to Accepting Kickbacks
Former Top Official Charged with Taking Secret Payments
A former top FDNY fire safety chief, Brian Cordasco, is planning to plead guilty to a deal with federal prosecutors who charged him and a colleague with taking secret kickbacks to expedite safety inspections for paying customers.
Prosecutors File Letter with Court
Prosecutors in Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office filed a letter with the court revealing that Cordasco has been "engaged in plea negotiations" and was offered a deal, which he intends to accept. The letter specified that Cordasco plans to plead guilty to count one of the indictment, conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Scheme Involved Secret Payments
Cordasco and his colleague, Anthony Saccavino, were charged with running a years-long scheme to obtain payments through shell companies they set up to speed up inspections of fire suppression systems. The duo worked with a former FDNY inspector acting as a hired expediter who funneled nearly $200,000 in off-the-books payments to them after they intervened with lower-level subordinates to accelerate inspections at a time when a backlog of requests had built up.
Scheme Exploited Systemic Issues
The scheme came at a time when the Adams administration had begun moving big money real estate developers and corporations to the top of what the FDNY called the DMO list, named after the deputy mayor for operations, for inspections, bypassing lower-run applicants such as public schools, hospitals, and homeless shelters. Cordasco had previously criticized the DMO list as "unfair" to applicants who’d been waiting months for inspectors to show up and sign off on their fire safety system.
Co-Defendant Pleads Not Guilty
Saccavino has pleaded not guilty and is continuing to fight the charges. The letter did not say whether Cordasco planned to cooperate with what Williams said was an ongoing investigation.
Plea Deal
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors would dismiss the other four charges against him, all of which carry steeper penalties ranging from 10 to 20 years. Prosecutors requested a hearing date for next week to enter the plea before Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Liman.
Conclusion
The guilty plea is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into corruption within the FDNY. The case highlights the need for strong ethical standards and accountability within government agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What did Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino do?
A: They were charged with taking secret kickbacks to expedite safety inspections for paying customers.
Q: How much money was involved in the scheme?
A: Nearly $200,000 in off-the-books payments was funneled to Cordasco and Saccavino.
Q: What was the DMO list?
A: The DMO list was a system used by the FDNY to prioritize inspections for big money real estate developers and corporations, bypassing lower-run applicants.
Q: What is the maximum sentence for Cordasco’s guilty plea?
A: Five years in prison.
