(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – In what seems like a truly disturbing corruption case, the FBI has raided New York City Fire Department offices and the homes of two fire chiefs accused of taking $100,000 bribes over safety inspections.
Both FBI and city investigators searched the Brooklyn headquarters of the FDNY and the two officials’ residences on Thursday, The New York Post reports citing its own sources.
The federal agents are probing Brian Cordasco and Anthony Saccavino, who hold senior positions in the fire prevention office, following accusations that they each received $100,000 for expediting or arranging safety inspections, the sources disclosed.
The inquiry aimed to determine if these payments to the chiefs were made by Henry J. Santiago Jr., a firefighter who had recently retired.
Although Cordasco and Saccavino have not been formally accused of any criminal activity, their mobile phones were confiscated by the federal agents who inquired about the supposed payments from Santiago.
Additionally, on Thursday, the Department of Investigation of the city sealed the fourth floor of the FDNY headquarters, where the fire prevention office is located, and confiscated records and computer equipment.
The investigation was initiated last summer after Santiago allegedly told another fire chief about the payments he had made to Cordasco and Saccavino, as per a report by the New York Times, which cited a source.
Santiago later reported these payments to the DOI following advice from the fire chief that he was obliged to report it.
“I don’t know what this is about and I don’t feel comfortable talking about it,” Santiago stated when contacted by The Post on Thursday.
Upon learning of the allegations involving the two chiefs last fall, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh immediately notified the DOI.
“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,” her spokesperson remarked.
“The FDNY’s first priority is always keeping New Yorkers safe, and we expect every member of the department to act appropriately, the official added.
Cordasco and Saccavino have been part of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention since the fall of 2020, according to the department.
They were promoted by Kavanagh last February after she demoted three other chiefs, leading to dissent among the higher ranks.
Joseph Jardin, one of the demoted chiefs, later filed a lawsuit against the commissioner. He claimed he was removed for alleging that Mayor Eric Adams’ administration was helping real estate developers bypass fire inspection procedures.
