Archinect - News

NYC building inspector charged for accepting $1,200 bribe

2021-02-18T11:32:00-05:00

A New York City Department of Buildings inspector has been charged with taking a $1,200 bribe in exchange for not citing a construction firm that had continued working despite a stop-work order.

According to Construction Dive, the inspector, Francesco Ginestri, was charged "with solicitation and receipt of a bribe related to his agreement to ensure that the DOB would not issue a $25,000 fine in connection with the stop-work order. " He was released on $150,000 bond last week and, if convicted, he will face a maximum of five years in prison, Construction Dive reports.

Former Bloomberg construction executive will serve 38 months in federal prison for millions in bribery and tax evasion

2021-01-26T13:09:00-05:00

Anthony Guzzone, former director of global construction at Bloomberg LP, has been sentenced to 38 months in federal prison for tax evasion stemming from his role in $6 million pay-to-play bribery schemes on Bloomberg construction projects in New York City. U.S. Department of Justice officials said Guzzone failed to report as income $1.45 million in illicit payments and gifts.

According to Construction Dive, Guzzone must also pay $574,005 in outstanding taxes and interest and serve three years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

Brazilian engineering companies building Olympic venues "very probably" broke laws, accepted bribes

2015-11-24T13:18:00-05:00

Brazilian police investigating corruption around the state-run oil firm Petrobras also plan to investigate more than $10bn of construction contracts for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to a lead investigator on the case. Some of the big engineering companies caught up in the Petrobras inquiry “very probably” broke laws against price-fixing and bribery on contracts to build Olympic venues, said Igor Romario, a federal police chief and key figure in the investigation.

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