Dive Brief:
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.
Francesco Ginestri was charged Feb. 10 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.
Ginestri, 36, was released this week on a $150,000 bond. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
Dive Insight:
According to the complaint, on July 31, Ginestri re-inspected a construction site in Flushing, New York, after a stop work order was issued for safety violations earlier in the month. During a conversation with two members of the construction team there, Ginestri showed them a piece of paper with a handwritten question asking whether work had continued.