Ex-NYC Department of Buildings inspector pleads guilty to taking bribe
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A former New York City Department of Buildings inspector has pleaded guilty to accepting a $1,200 bribe from a construction company he was supposed to slap with a $25,000 fine for safety violations, prosecutors say.
Francesco Ginestri, 37, of Queens, pleaded guilty to solicitation and receipt of a bribe on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a press release.
The DOB issued a stop-work order to a construction site in Queens in July of last year, prosecutors said.
When Ginestri re-inspected the site later that month, he discovered the construction company had continued carrying out work, in violation of the order, according to prosecutors.
Instead of reporting the violation to the DOB, however — which would have issued a $25,000 fine to the company — Ginestri promised not report it in exchange for $1,200 in cash, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement officials arrested Ginestria in February, the release said. He submitted his resignation to the DOB the same day, according to the release.
"With today's guilty plea, Ginestri admits to selling his position as a building inspector in exchange for cash and to violating the public trust to ensure the safety of city construction sites," Mark Lesko, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in a statement.
"This Office will vigorously prosecutor corrupt employees who put their official positions up for sale and endanger the safety of their communities," he added.
