FBI agents searched the homes of two FDNY chiefs involved with the safety inspection process of buildings in New York City in connection with a corruption investigation, according to three people briefed on the matter. Jonathan Dienst reports.
FBI agents searched the homes of two FDNY chiefs in connection with a corruption investigation related to possible bribes in exchange for speedier building approvals, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The city’s Department of Investigation sealed the chiefs' third-floor offices at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn as part of a search Thursday morning, three people briefed on the matter told NBC New York. The accused chiefs — Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino — work in the bureau of fire prevention and are involved with the safety inspection process of buildings.
Both were placed on modified duty after FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh learned of the warrant; neither has been charged with a crime or accused of any wrongdoing. According to sources, the two are well-respected veteran chiefs.
There was law enforcement activity at Cordasco's home on Sheldon Avenue on Staten Island, an FBI spokesperson said. A law enforcement search was also conducted at Saccavino's home.
Multiple attempts by NBC New York to reach Cordasco or Saccavino for comment were no successful Thursday.
Sources with firsthand knowledge told News 4 that Commissioner Kavanagh had reported an unsubstantiated tip to the DOI in April 2023 after she heard rumors about possible kickbacks worth tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for expediting fire inspections, but sources said fire officials at the time had no reason to believe the tip was true.
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"The FDNY’s first priority is always keeping New Yorkers safe, and we expect every member of the department to act appropriately," the FDNY said in a statement. "As soon as Commissioner Kavanagh was alerted to these allegations last year, she immediately referred them to DOI to investigate them. Commissioner Kavanagh has proactively placed the employees at the center of this investigation on modified duty, and we are awaiting guidance from DOI regarding further action."
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As NBC News has previously reported, federal investigators have been trying to determine if there was any wrongdoing in the inspection process performed by the city on buildings that were under construction, including possible illegal favoritism granted to friends of Mayor Eric Adams. In 2023, an attorney for Joseph Jardin — the previous head of fire prevention in the department — told NBC New York there had been pressure to approve the new Turkish consulate after the mayor had contacted the agency.
Sources familiar with the matter said the allegations appear to be separate from an ongoing federal investigation into mayoral fundraising. A City Hall spokesperson said the administration "became aware of this operation when we were notified by FDNY this morning," and there was "no indication of any direct connection to anyone at City Hall.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. A DOI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, other than acknowledging it had received a complaint.
