Southern District of New York | Two Former Senior FDNY Officials Charged with Bribery, Corruption and False Statements

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging ANTHONY SACCAVINO and BRIAN CORDASCO, two former Chiefs of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”) Bureau of Fire Prevention (“BFP”) with bribery, corruption, and false statements. SACCAVINO and CORDASCO were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco abused their authority as chiefs of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention to line their pockets through a pay-to-play bribery scheme. By allegedly selling priority access to the BFP’s services, which are vital to protecting New York City businesses and homes from fire-related incidents, Saccavino and Cordasco undermined the public trust and put their own greed above the interests of the taxpayers they swore to serve. This office and our partners at the DOI and FBI will continue to ensure that city officials who put themselves above the public interest are held accountable.”

DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said, “When top city officials offer special treatment in exchange for money, they abuse their authority, fail to provide fair and equitable services to New Yorkers, and undermine confidence in the integrity of city government. As alleged, two top leaders of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, responsible for fire safety approvals and inspections, and facing a significant backlog, expedited dozens of projects in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. I thank the FDNY for referring allegations of potential criminal conduct to DOI, which sparked this investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for working with us to prosecute this important case.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said, “The FDNY officers charged today allegedly accepted bribes to expedite the inspection process, thereby undermining the honesty and integrity fundamental to our system. In doing so, they not only jeopardized public safety, but also undermined the public’s trust in those sworn to protect us. Furthermore, they betrayed the trust of the overwhelming majority of New York City firefighters, who are honest, hardworking public servants who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, often putting themselves in harm’s way to ensure our safety. These men and women embody the highest standards of integrity and service. The actions of a few should not overshadow the dedication and courage of the many who wear the badge with pride and honor.”

As alleged in the complaint: (1)

SACCAVINO and CORDASCO repeatedly abused their positions of trust as senior officials in the FDNY, at least from approximately 2021 through approximately 2023, by soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for preferential treatment for certain individuals and companies with cases pending before the BFP.

SACCAVINO and CORDASCO were at relevant times Chiefs of the BFP, which is responsible for supervising and approving the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in commercial and residential buildings in New York City. The BFP ensures that these systems comply with fire safety regulations by, among other things, reviewing and approving design plans and conducting on-site inspections of installed systems. In many cases, BFP approvals are required before a building can be occupied or opened to the public. As Chiefs of Fire Prevention—and ultimately the two highest-ranking members of the BFP—SACCAVINO and CORDASCO at relevant times supervised the BFP personnel who conducted these plan reviews and inspections. For nearly two years, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO abused their authority as Chiefs for their own financial gain.

More specifically, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO solicited and accepted bribes from a retired FDNY firefighter, Henry Santiago Jr., who ran an unauthorized “expediting” company (the “Santiago Company”). Santiago, acting largely at the direction of SACCAVINO and CORDASCO, promised his clients that he could “expedite” — or speed up — their plan reviews and inspection dates with the BFP in exchange for payment. Santiago made this claim even though the BFP generally processed applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and despite the significant wait times that BFP applicants generally faced during the relevant period.

Behind the scenes, after a client hired the Santiago Company, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO instructed BFP personnel to prioritize that client’s plan review or inspection request in exchange for bribes from Santiago and/or the Santiago Company. In carrying out their official duties as Chiefs, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO justified the priority requests within the FDNY by lying to their BFP subordinates about the basis for their instructions to prioritize certain projects over others. Santiago was paid by his company’s clients for this “expediting” and in turn Santiago paid bribes to SACCAVINO and CORDASCO to obtain preferential treatment from the BFP over the Santiago Company’s clients.

Together, SACCAVINO, CORDASCO, and Santiago received more than $190,000 in payments in connection with this scheme.

As part of the investigation into this bribery scheme, in or around February 2024, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO each participated in voluntary interviews with the FBI. During those interviews, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO each repeatedly made false statements in an attempt to conceal their involvement in the bribery scheme.

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If you believe you have information regarding bribery, fraud, or other illegal conduct by FDNY or BFP employees, please contact [email protected] or (212) 825-2828. If you have been involved in such conduct, please consider reporting yourself through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at [email protected].

SACCAVINO, 59, of New York, New York, and CORDASCO, 49, of Staten Island, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive bribes, which could result in a maximum prison sentence of five years; one count of soliciting and receiving bribes, which could result in a maximum prison sentence of 10 years; one count of honest services wire fraud, which could result in a maximum prison sentence of 20 years; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which could result in a maximum prison sentence of 20 years; and one count of making false statements, which could result in a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Santiago, 46, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty on September 10, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. His case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Santiago agreed to cooperate with the government.

The statutory maximum sentences are set by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the judge will determine the sentence for the defendants.

Mr. Williams praised the excellent work of the DOI and the FBI.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Matthew King and Daniel H. Wolf are responsible for the prosecution.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.