logo
Former FDNY chief pleads guilty to conspiring to receive bribes to speed up building inspections

Former FDNY chief pleads guilty to conspiring to receive bribes to speed up building inspections

Yahoo29-01-2025

Former FDNY Chief Anthony Saccavino pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to accept thousands of dollars in bribes for speeding up inspections for businesses with matters before the department.
Saccavino, 59, is accused of expediting fire inspections for building owners who could pay up in a scheme that saw him and his co-conspirators rake in nearly $200,000 in illegal kickbacks.
'I accepted cash in exchange for preferential treatment for entities with business before the Bureau of Fire Prevention,' he admitted in Manhattan Federal Court on Wednesday morning.
Saccavino, former chief of the bureau, and another chief, former Deputy Assistant Chief Brian Cordasco, were charged with the crimes in September. Cordasco, 49, pleaded guilty a month later to charges he raked in upwards of $5,000 in bribes between 2021 and 2023.
Bureau of Fire Prevention, or BFP, is responsible for greenlighting the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in both commercial and residential buildings, and without a passed inspection by the BFP, a building may not be allowed to open.
A retired FDNY inspector, Henry Santiago, Jr., who has also pleaded guilty to related charges, helped funnel the ill-gotten gains to them as they stepped in to speed up inspections after the pandemic, when a backlog of requests had built up, according to prosecutors.
Saccavino confessed to just one of the five counts he is charged with — still denying charges of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. Saccavino also still denies that he lied to FBI agents in an interview.
Outside the courtroom, Saccavino's lawyer, Joseph Caldarera, called his client, who was a first responder on 9/11, 'an American hero,' and said that the guilty plea meant Saccavino 'put his family first,' adding that not 'everything' in the indictment was correct.
Saccavino must pay back the $57,000 bribes from the scheme, according to his plea agreement. While the maximum sentence for his crime is five years behind bars, the former chief agreed not to fight any prison time of less than 60 months.
This scheme happened at the same time Mayor Adams' City Hall allegedly worked to fast-track FDNY inspections for real estate developers who were cozy with the administration, using the so-called 'Deputy Mayor of Operations list' — named before it fell under the purview of that official.
The unrelated case against Adams alleges in part that he accepted bribes from associates of the Turkish government to circumvent fire safety checks at the country's Manhattan consulate.
'Anthony Saccavino betrayed the City agency he was chosen to lead by repeatedly selling access to the Bureau of Fire Prevention's services in a pay-to-play bribery scheme,' acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sasson said in a statement.
'This Office will continue to ensure that City officials who place their own interests above those of the public will be held accountable.'
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Greenwood said that if he were to stand trial for this count, prosecutors would have brought a bevy of evidence including cell phone records, FDNY internal email and financial records.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Letters to the Editor: What Californians are saying about the National Guard's deployment to L.A.
Letters to the Editor: What Californians are saying about the National Guard's deployment to L.A.

Los Angeles Times

time29 minutes ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Letters to the Editor: What Californians are saying about the National Guard's deployment to L.A.

To the editor: I've lived in Los Angeles long enough to know that this city weathers fire, quake and fury and still manages to bloom. We grow food in our backyards, paint our pain on walls and find beauty in the struggle. But right now, there's a pressure in the air thicker than smog, a national fear winding through our streets, and its name is Donald Trump ('National Guard arrives in Los Angeles as fallout from immigration raids continues,' June 8). The helicopters overhead aren't just news choppers anymore. They're echoes of something ancient and dangerous: Fascism rising on American soil. I never thought I'd say this in my lifetime, but we're watching a man try to bring down a republic with the smug grin of a game show host who already knows the final answer. President Trump, you can stop now. Turn on your TV. Watch what you've done. You will not be remembered as a patriot. You will not be remembered as a liberator. You will be remembered as the worst leader this country has ever produced. A divider. A destroyer. We write, we paint, we protest and we plant seeds of hope in cracked concrete. But we are exhausted. We need moral leadership, not messianic delusion. What do we tell our children when their leaders praise dictators, vilify the press and mock the weak? That chaos is power? That empathy is weakness? Mr. Trump: History is not on your side and neither is Los Angeles. Patsy Pitts, South Los Angeles .. To the editor: It is important to remember that the president who sent the National Guard to Los Angeles because the administration 'has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence' is the same president that incited the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, declined to take steps to stop the attack on our Capitol or protect members of Congress and, as soon as he took office in 2025, pardoned everyone (more than 1,500 people) indicted or sentenced for the attack. Approximately 140 law enforcement officers were injured with more than $2.7 million in damage to the Capitol. He is sending a message. Marcia Scully, Whittier .. To the editor: Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass have not told the L.A. disruptors to go home because these politicians fear alienating an important voting bloc. If Trump does nothing, there will be the creation of no-go zones throughout our country, in which local groups bring parts of major cities to a halt in order to impose an illegal immigration political agenda. If Trump attempts to restore order, rioters — like those on college campuses — will increase their pressure to demonstrate who has power in this country. It really is necessary to send in the troops. Otherwise, we are headed toward a variant of mob rule. Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif. .. To the editor: The last time a president called in the National Guard without a request from a governor was in 1965 in Selma, Ala., to protect civil rights demonstrators. This current action by the president is not to protect civil rights or even legal rights. The troops' wearing of masks indicates a complete lack of training and accountability. In other words, unrestrained gangs with the backing of POTUS. Joanne Weckbacher, Burbank .. To the editor: Protests by the undocumented and their supporters without permits are futile and stupid. The resulting arrests and detentions are inevitable. Law enforcement is only doing their job and the protesters are breaking the law in trying to stop them. If the undocumented and their supporters want to make a statement, boycott their workplaces in agriculture, construction, the garment industry or housekeeping in hotels, nationwide. Those industries are fully aware just how dependent they are on those who toil to keep the profits rolling in. Elliott H. Boone, Long Beach .. To the editor: Now that the Trump administration has launched open warfare against the values of Californians, the most effective response would be resistance that is massive and, above all, passive. When thousands of people in the streets lie down and play dead in a blocking action against whatever action military forces attempt, those forces have no good options to defeat the people. Roughing protesters up will only recruit more to the cause. This will take discipline on the part of the resistance, but the conscience of the average American will recoil at the sight of peaceful protesters being subjected to violence. Mahatma Gandhi prevailed against the British and won a subcontinent without firing a shot. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped defeat white supremacy using nonviolence. This is a pivotal moment in history that will be squandered if the resistance resorts to violence. Where the cause is righteous, good trouble demands massive peaceful protest to win. Alan B. Posner, Santa Barbara .. To the editor: I stand with those of the city who are protesting against Trump's intervention into California's autonomy. I am proud of you and your efforts. To those who committed acts of vandalism including burning cars, deep shame upon you. To those who remained peaceful, report those who committed crime. It deeply hurts your cause when the weak-brained commit stupidity. Mat Lakota, Oroville, Calif.

Marines arrive in LA under Trump orders as protests spread to other cities
Marines arrive in LA under Trump orders as protests spread to other cities

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Marines arrive in LA under Trump orders as protests spread to other cities

By Brad Brooks, Jorge Garcia, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in Los Angeles overnight and more were expected on Tuesday under orders from President Donald Trump, who has also activated 4,000 National Guard troops to quell protests despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local leaders. The city has seen days of public outrage since the Trump administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday, though local officials said the demonstrations on Monday were largely peaceful. About half of the roughly 700 Marines that Trump ordered to Los Angeles arrived on Monday night, and the remaining troops will enter the city on Tuesday, a U.S. official told Reuters. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told KABC that more than 100 people had been arrested on Monday but that the majority of protesters were nonviolent. Over the weekend, protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers and vehicles and set several cars ablaze. Police responded by firing projectiles like pepper balls as well as flash bang grenades and tear gas. Trump has justified his decision to deploy active military troops to Los Angeles by describing the protests as a violent occupation of the city, a characterization that Newsom and Bass have said is grossly exaggerated. Newsom said that Trump's deployment of National Guard troops has only inflamed the situation and made it more difficult for local law enforcement to respond to the demonstrations. In a statement on Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the department had not been notified that any Marines were traveling to the city and that their possible arrival "presents a significant logistical and operational challenge" for police. Trump's decision to mobilize 700 Marines based in Southern California escalated his confrontation with Newsom, who filed a lawsuit on Monday asserting that Trump's deployment of Guard troops without the governor's consent was illegal. The Guard deployment was the first time in decades that a president activated the Guard absent a request from a sitting governor. While the Marines are only tasked with guarding federal property temporarily until the full contingent of 4,000 Guard troops arrives, the use of active military to respond to civil disturbances is extremely rare. "This isn't about public safety," Newsom wrote on X on Monday. "It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego." The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, said he was "gravely troubled" by Trump's deployment of active-duty Marines. "Since our nation's founding, the American people have been perfectly clear: we do not want the military conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil," he said. In a post on Tuesday morning on Truth Social, Trump claimed Los Angeles would be "burning to the ground right now" if he had not deployed troops to the city. DEMONSTRATIONS AND ARRESTS The raids are part of Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown, which Democrats and immigrant advocates have said are indiscriminately breaking up families. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged on Monday to carry out more operations to round up suspected immigration violators. Trump officials have branded the protests as lawless and blamed state and local Democrats for protecting undocumented immigrants with sanctuary cities. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Monday outside a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles where immigrants have been held, chanting "free them all" and waving Mexican and Central American flags. National Guard forces formed a human barricade to keep people out of the building, and late on Monday, police began dispersing the crowd using gas canisters and arrested some protesters. At dusk, officers had running confrontations with protesters who had scattered into the Little Tokyo section of the city. As people watched from apartment patios above street level and as tourists huddled inside hotels, a large contingent of LAPD and officers and sheriff's deputies fired several flash bangs that boomed through side streets along with tear gas. Protests spread to neighboring Orange County on Monday night after immigration raids there, with demonstrators gathering at the Santa Ana Federal building, according to local officials and news reports. Protests also sprang up in at least nine other U.S. cities on Monday, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, according to local news reports. In Austin, Texas, police fired non-lethal munitions and detained several people as they clashed with a crowd of several hundred protesters.

Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'
Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'

New York Post

time38 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Fetterman rips ‘anarchy and true chaos' in LA, warns Dems not to cede ‘moral high ground'

Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has denounced the riots in Los Angeles and warned his party about the pitfalls of failing to adequately condemn the 'anarchy and true chaos. 'I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that,' Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote on X on Monday evening. 'This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.' Advertisement The Keystone State Dem included a photo of cars being scorched in a fiery blaze with a shirtless masked man waving a Mexican flag in the background. 3 President Trump has deployed several thousand National Guard troops to Los Angeles to try to help quell the violent protests over his illegal-immigration crackdown. Toby Canham for NY Post Advertisement 3 Sen. John Fetterman, a Dem from Pennsylvania, isn't mincing words about his condemnation of the riots in Los Angeles. Getty Images Around the time of his post, Fetterman was spotted at Butterworth's, a top MAGA hangout in Washington, DC — dining with Trump ally Steve Bannon and Breitbart's Matt Boyle, Politico Playbook reported. Tech mogul Elon Musk commended Fetterman's condemnation of the 'anarchy and true chaos' unfolding in LA, replying with an American flag emoji. Fetterman's post came amid a feud between President Trump and top California Democrats over the prez's decision to federalize the California National Guard and bring in troops to tame the unrest in Los Angeles. Advertisement Protesters had flooded the streets in droves Friday to demonstrate against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts in the city. The ICE agents' targets have included a Home Depot in Paramount. 3 Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has stressed that the violent destructive rioting has largely been limited to downtown. Toby Canham for NY Post By Saturday, some of the demonstrations devolved into violent clashes with federal authorities in Compton and Paramount. The Trump administration mobilized another 2,000 troops to respond to the mayhem, after previously ordering an initial 2,000 troops to the region over the weekend. Trump's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, said Monday he also was deploying 700 Marines to the area to help try to contain the chaos. Advertisement Top leadership in California, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — both Democrats — slammed the GOP White House for the troop mobilization and pleaded with the public not to turn to violence to protest Trump's immigration policies. Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Dem, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration seeking to void the president's memo to federalize the state's National Guard. Fetterman hasn't been afraid to punch the left in his own party, particularly when it comes to Israel. Near the end of the Biden administration, he had also favored measures to strengthen border security.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store