|
Brian Cordasco, who was chief of the department’s Bureau of Fire
Prevention, was also ordered to complete two years of supervised
release after his prison term, pay a $100,000 fine and forfeit
$57,000.
Jocelyn Strauber, commissioner of the city's Department of
Investigation, which investigated the bribery scheme along with
federal authorities, said Cordasco “prioritized his personal
financial interests over delivering ethical leadership and
equitable service to all New Yorkers.”
“The sentence imposed today sends a clear message that
government officials who betray the public trust to line their
own pockets will be met with just punishment,” Matthew Podolsky,
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York,
said.
Judge Lewis Liman said in Manhattan federal court that the
prison sentence of 20 months was warranted in order to deter
others from committing such “opportunistic” crimes of greed, The
Daily News reports.
“You betrayed the hardworking people under you, who perform such
an important service for New York," the judge told Cordasco,
according to the newspaper.
The 50-year-old, who lives in the New York City borough of
Staten Island, is scheduled to report to prison June 17,
according to prosecutors. His lawyers didn't immediately respond
to an email seeking comment Monday.
Cordasco pleaded guilty in October to conspiring to solicit and
receive a bribe. At the time, he admitted he and others accepted
bribes in order to issue fire safety inspections to individuals
and companies “earlier than they were entitled to.”
The city's Bureau of Fire Prevention approves the installation
of fire suppression systems in commercial and residential
buildings. In many cases, bureau approval is required before a
building can be occupied or opened to the public.
Cordasco was arrested along with another FDNY chief, Anthony
Saccavino, in September. Prosecutors say Cordasco pocketed
$57,000 of the $190,000 in bribes generated by the scheme
between 2021 and 2023.
Saccavino, 59, of New York, pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe in January. He's
scheduled to be sentenced May 14.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
