Jamiesfeast – A total of 70 current and former employees of the New York City Housing Authority, including nine individuals from New Jersey, were apprehended on Tuesday for bribery and extortion charges. This operation is deemed as “the largest single-day bribery takedown in the history of the Justice Department.”
During a news conference, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams revealed that corruption had permeated the city’s housing developments over the past decade. Shockingly, this widespread corruption impacted nearly one-third of the 335 housing developments across the city, affecting the lives of approximately 1 in 17 New Yorkers.
According to Williams, the 70 defendants who were charged today allegedly prioritized their own financial gain over the well-being of NYCHA residents, the City of New York, and taxpayers. Williams expressed his belief that NYCHA residents deserve better treatment.
Housing superintendents, assistant superintendents, and other employees allegedly demanded more than $2 million in bribe money from contractors. In return, they would provide them with over $13 million worth of work, typically consisting of small, yet crucial tasks like plumbing or window repairs that did not require a competitive bidding process.
According to Williams, the defendants would withhold work from contractors who didn’t pay up, which he describes as classic pay-to-play. He asserts that this culture of corruption at NYCHA will come to an end.
According to authorities, the defendants would often request bribes amounting to 10% to 20% of the job’s value. Surprisingly, some of these jobs had a cost as low as $500 to $2,000.
New Jerseyans charged
The individuals from New Jersey who were arrested on Tuesday are facing charges of solicitation and receipt of a bribe. This offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Additionally, they are charged with extortion under color of official right, which has a maximum sentence of 20 years. The names of the individuals arrested have not been disclosed.
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- Roberto Cartagena, 48, of Union City
- Rigoberto Charriez, 34, of Toms River
- George Kemp, 48, of Irvington, was also charged with conspiracy to solicit and receive a bribe and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
- Jaime Lan, 57, of Stewartsville
- Tara Lucas, 50, of Linden
- Orlando Pardo, 56, of Maywood
- Dwarka Rupnarain, 63, of Middletown
- Clarence Samuel, 53, of Irvington
- Alex Tolozano, 57, of Maywood
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the commitment of the Justice Department to pursue legal action against individuals who exploit their public service positions for personal gain. Garland asserted that the alleged crimes in this particular case represent significant breaches of the public’s trust.