by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 31 – Amid the scandals swirling around NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his inner circle, on September 16 SDNY US Attorney Damian Williams announced two indictments, limited to the FDNY.
"Anthony Saccavino and Brian Cordasco, two former chiefs of the New York City Fire Department Bureau of Fire Prevention, are charged with bribery, corruption, and false statements offenses… in connection with a scheme to solicit and accept tens of thousands of dollars in bribe payments in exchange for providing preferential treatment to certain individuals and companies with matters pending before the BFP."
At a press conference in 26 Federal Plaza, Williams declined to comment on requests to City Hall; he said one Henry Santiago Jr. is cooperation in this investigation.
Inner City Press covered the presentment, then separate arraignment
On October 2, Judge Liman set a change of plea proceeding for Brian Cordasco on October 8 at 10 am.
Inner City Press went to and live tweeted the guilty plea - while another City Hall arrest was announced. Thread
On December 17 there was to be a conference on Saccavino. But the courtroom door was locked and later the US Attorney's Office put in a letter that it had been adjourned - as defense counsel's request - and proposing it be rescheduled for January 8, 2025.
On January 10, Saccavino was present with a new lawyer. The AUSA said they anticipate a guilty plea, or want a trial. Judge Liman set the latter for May 5.
On January 29 ANTHONY SACCAVINO pled guilty to conspiring to solicit and receive bribes in his role as Chief of the FDNY Bureau of Fire Prevention SACCAVINO is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2025."
For Cordasco's March 31 sentencing, on March 17 his lawyer filed asking for one year home confinement - with each and every sentencing letter withheld in full, as it was by OneCoin defendant Karl Sebastian Greenwood before Judge Ramos, appeal heard by 2nd Circuit Judges Nathan, Park and Parker earlier on March 17.
On March 24 the US Attorney's Office wrote in, silent as they were in US v. Greenwood on the mass sealing of sentencing letters, asking for 42 months.
On March 27, Judge Liman docketed "ORDER as to Brian Cordasco. The sentencing in this case is scheduled for March 31, 2025. The Government is respectfully requested to submit a letter no later than March 28, 2025, identifying the sentences imposed by judges of this District in other cases involving convictions for crimes involving public corruption, with pertinent information including the crime of conviction, the amount of bribes received, the position held by the defendant, and the alleged length of the scheme (Signed by Judge Lewis J. Liman on 3/27/25).
The chart was filed and on March 31, Cordasco was sentenced to 20 months in prison to start June 17, thread here.
More / analysis on X for Subscribers here and on Substack here
Inner City Press is on the case(s). Watch this site.
This case is US v. Saccavino, et al., 24-cr-537 (Liman)
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