WHAT A HEEL: Safety Inspector Fudges Safety Inspections
Safety inspector Saverio F. Todaro, 68, has pleaded guilty to filing “hundreds” of reports over the past 10 years stating that there were no asbestos and lead risks in buildings and at construction sites throughout NYC without having conducted the tests – and he may be part of a much larger conspiracy, reports The New York Times:
The inspector, submitted clean asbestos or lead test results for well over 200 buildings and apartments, including some that were demolished or renovated to make way for publicly financed projects under the Bloomberg administration’s affordable-housing program, according to people briefed on the matter and court papers. …
“Todaro’s guilty plea is not the end of the story,” said the Manhattan United States attorney, Preet Bharara. “This investigation is very much ongoing.”
The investigation, in part, seeks to determine whether he conspired with others - taking bribes to fashion crude forgeries and mask his failure to conduct any tests - or whether he acted alone for other reasons, officials said. …
One line of inquiry for investigators in the case involving Mr. Todaro is whether any building owners, management firms or contractors for whom he or other inspectors worked paid bribes for the bogus inspection reports. Officials say substantial sums of money could have been saved by allowing the demolition of buildings without performing expensive asbestos abatement.
Indeed, several current and former law enforcement officials and industry experts underscored that the city’s construction industry, and in particular the demolition and asbestos abatement sectors, have a rich history of corruption. …
Mr. Todaro, who is free on bail, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, making false statements and violating the Toxic Substances Control Act. Under his plea agreement, he could face a sentence of between 51 and 63 months.
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