14 Arrested In Brooklyn Development Bribery Scheme

The NYC Department of Investigations announced the arrest of 14 individuals on Wednesday in connection with a series of bribes to cover up building violations.

According to DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters, two inspectors for the Department of Buildings solicited and received bribes of cash and, on at least one occasion, jewelry in exchange for ignoring code violations such as inoperable exit signs in eight buildings across Brooklyn and Flushing, Queens, the New York Daily News reports.

Also arrested was asbestos inspector Alexander Kogan, who accepted payouts of $1K to $3,500 in exchange for falsified reports. A plumbing inspector was charged with accepting payments in exchange for the use of his license in falsifying documents.

The names of the building owners and property managers who were arrested as part of an early morning sweep on Wednesday, when 13 of the 14 suspects were apprehended, were not released. Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez will prosecute the cases.

According to Peters, the violators bribed inspectors in the service of "expediting construction" to "make an extra buck." The buildings affected by the illegal inspections have not been identified.

The Department of Investigations is consolidating and expanding its operations with a move to 180 Maiden Lane in the Financial District. Its 276K SF lease deal was approved by Administrative Services on Sept. 19. The DOI will bring all of its employees, currently spread out in five locations, into one office, which totals 75K SF more than the five separate offices combined. Such an expansion is crucial for a department that has doubled in staff since 2014.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's New York Newsletters
Related Stories

How Long Island Projects Can Cut Through Red Tape And Community Opposition To Cross The Finish Line

Empire State Building Observation Deck Hemorrhaging Visitors, Value

Boca Raton's New Leaders Throwing 'All Kinds Of Curveballs' At Developers

Slate, Hudson Cos. Picked To Develop Massive Queens Housing Project

BXP's 343 Madison Lands $1.2B Loan, Nears Deal With Equity Partner

Mamdani Adds Millions To Program Helping Retailers Negotiate With Landlords

Canadian REIT Buys Brooklyn Medical Office For $90M: The N.Y. Deal Sheet

NYC Stops Construction On Another Office-To-Residential Conversion As Inspectors Descend On Job Sites

SL Green Cashing In On Surging Manhattan Office Market

Developers Build More Bedrooms As 99-Unit Projects Dominate

Mamdani Names Anthony Shorris CEO, Lina Khan Chair Of EDC

Landlords Sue Rental Board, Claiming 'Sham Process' Led To Rent Freeze