What to Know
- A former New York City Fire Department chief pleaded guilty Wednesday to a conspiracy charge, admitting that he and others agreed to accept $190,000 in bribes to speed up safety inspections for customers of a former city firefighter.
- Anthony Saccavino, who at the time of the crimes headed the department's Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP), entered the plea in Manhattan federal court, where sentencing was set for May 14.
- When Saccavino was charged in September, he was arrested along with Brian Cordasco, another former city fire chief who pleaded guilty in October to a conspiracy charge. Cordasco will be sentenced in March.
A former New York City Fire Department chief pleaded guilty Wednesday to a conspiracy charge, admitting that he and others agreed to accept $190,000 in bribes to speed up safety inspections for customers of a former city firefighter.
Anthony Saccavino, who at the time of the crimes headed the department's Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP), entered the plea in Manhattan federal court, where sentencing was set for May 14.
When Saccavino was charged in September, he was arrested along with Brian Cordasco, another former city fire chief who pleaded guilty in October to a conspiracy charge. Cordasco will be sentenced in March.
The arrests came amid multiple federal corruption probes of members of the administration of Mayor Eric Adams, although the prosecution of Cordasco was not believed to be related to those investigations.
Adams, a Democrat, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging that he accepted about $100,000 of free or deeply discounted international flights, hotel stays, meals and entertainment in return for illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and members of the Turkish business community.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention is responsible for regulating the installation of fire safety and suppression systems throughout New York City and ensuring fire safety regulations are obeyed.
A plea agreement signed with the government recommended Saccavino serve five years in prison.
It also called for Saccavino to give up the $57,000 in bribes he received before the scheme was discovered. Authorities said Saccavino carried out the scheme from 2021 to 2023.
Authorities said Saccavino lied to his subordinates in the department to justify rushing improper requests to expedite inspections.
In a statement, Saccavino attorney Joseph Caldarera said his client “made a difficult decision to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge, prioritizing his family's well-being.”
“He respects the judicial process and believes this course of action is in the best interest of his loved ones,” Caldarera said.
The initial indictment charged Saccavino and former FDNY chief Brian Cordasco with bribery, corruption and false statement offenses for the kickbacks scheme. During the two-year period, the two are said to collectively raked in $190,000.
Cordasco, who originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, later changed his plea to guilty after an agreement with the feds.
"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," said U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon in written remarks. "This Office will continue to ensure that City officials who place their own interests above those of the public will be held accountable.”
Saccavino is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14.
"As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, public officials who compromise City processes with pay-to-play schemes undercut government’s ability to serve the public equitably, and will be held accountable," Jocelyn Strauber, the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Investigations.
THE SCHEME
According to federal prosecutors, the bribery scheme started in the summer of 2021 through 2023. The men, who served as 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.
The two men were accused of working with a third man, a retired FDNY firefighter who started an "expediting" business to fast-track reviews and inspections for businesses and people.
The indictment related to the case alleged that Saccavino and Cordasco would receive payment for customers they brought in to the unsanctioned "expediting" business.
Over the course of two years, prosecutors said they found instances of about 30 projects that received a bump from Saccavino and Cordasco's fast-tracking. Their work dried up in early 2023 following a "falling out" with the third co-conspirator, who allegedly did not pay the chiefs outstanding bribe money.
In their roles as highest ranking officer of the BFP and the second-in-command, Saccavino and Cordasco earned annual salaries of $263,478 and $257,296, according to the federal indictment. The FDNY confirmed both men retired before the indictment release.
