The operator of a Sunset Park construction company that ignored site safety concerns was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after a worker was crushed in a wall collapse.
A foreperson at the site was also convicted of criminal mischief in relation to the death of the WSC Group employee.
Luis Almonte Sanchez, 47, was buried under thousands of pounds of debris while performing foundation work at a construction site on 39th Street in Sunset Park in September of 2018.
“The death of Luis Almonte Sanchez was a preventable tragedy that would have been avoided if the operator of the construction site followed all safety protocols or heeded warnings about unsafe conditions,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Thursday.
“Today’s verdict should send a strong message that when contractors cut corners and put their workers’ safety at risk — they will face serious and criminal repercussions.”
WSC Group Inc, owned by Jiaxi “Jimmy” Liu, performed demolition, excavation and foundation work at the Sunset Park site between April and September 2018 — removing a one-story industrial building to make way for a four-story manufacturing and community facility, including a new cellar approximately nine feet below the first-floor level.
Prosecutors in the case said that Liu refused to stop ongoing work, despite warnings of dangerous conditions at the site from workers and adjacent property owners.
According to the District Attorney, the evidence showed that it was Liu’s responsibility to give instructions to the foreperson and workers that could have prevented Sanchez’s death.
Wilson Garcia Jr. served as the foreperson designated to identify hazards and take immediate action to correct the hazards on site.
Gonzaelz’s office said that both defendants were obligated by law to ensure that the construction site was in compliance with regulations.
Yet, evidence presented by prosecutors found the site was not in compliance, and that both…
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