Two FDNY Chiefs Indicted on Bribery Charges

Two former chief officers with FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention have been indicted on charges of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, and lying to federal investigators. Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco were arrested today following the unsealing of their indictment.

Saccavino, 59, and Cordasco, 49, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky.  The charges include conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe, solicitation and receipt of a bribe, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and making false statements to federal investigators. As explained in a press release by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York:

• SACCAVINO and CORDASCO repeatedly abused their positions of trust as high-ranking officials in the FDNY from at least in or about 2021 through in or about 2023 by soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for providing preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies with matters pending before the BFP.
• SACCAVINO and CORDASCO were at relevant times Chiefs of the BFP, which is responsible for overseeing and approving the installation of fire safety and suppression systems in commercial and residential buildings in New York City. 
• As Chiefs of Fire Prevention—and, ultimately, the top two ranking members of the BFP—during the relevant period, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO supervised the BFP personnel who conducted these plan reviews and inspections.
•  For nearly two years, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO misused their authority as Chiefs for their private financial gain.
• Specifically, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO solicited and accepted bribes from a retired FDNY firefighter, Henry Santiago Jr., who ran an unsanctioned “expediting” business. 
• Acting in large part at the direction of SACCAVINO and CORDASCO, Santiago promised his customers that he could “expedite”—or fast-track—their plan reviews and inspection dates with the BFP, in exchange for payment.  
• Santiago made this claim even though the BFP generally addressed applications on a first-come, first-served basis, and notwithstanding the significant wait times that BFP applicants generally faced during the relevant period.
• Behind the scenes, after a customer had hired the Santiago Company, SACCAVINO and CORDASCO directed BFP personnel to prioritize that customer’s plan review or inspection request in exchange for bribe payments 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 directions to prioritize certain projects over others.  
• Santiago was paid by the customers of his company for this “expediting” and, in turn, Santiago made bribe payments to SACCAVINO and CORDASCO to obtain preferential treatment by the BFP for the Santiago Company’s customers.
• Collectively, 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 about 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 effort to conceal their involvement in the bribery scheme.
• Santiago, 46, … pled 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. 
• Santiago agreed to cooperate with the Government.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the New York City Department of Investigation.  Here is a link to the US Attorney’s press release. Here is a copy of the Indictment.