70 NYCHA employees charged with accepting bribes for contracts

The U.S. Justice Department, the NYC Department of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies on Tuesday announced bribery and extortion charges against 70 current and former employees of the New York City Housing Authority.  

The defendants, who were arrested in New York and several other states, were slated to appear before several U.S. magistrate judges in the Southern District of New York.

Defendants from Brooklyn included Serwyn Barley, Patrick Butler, Vernon Chambers, Joseph Fuller, Veronica Hoffman, Nakia McCoy, Chrisie Salter, Tanisha Sands, Lindsay Wade and Calvin Wright. All were charged with Solicitation and Receipt of a Bribe as well as Extortion Under Color of Official Right; some face additional charges.

A map of NYCHA developments where the alleged incidents took place shows a concentration in North, Central and Northeast Brooklyn as well as in Red Hook and at a handful of developments in or near Coney Island.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Damian Williams said: “Instead of acting in the interests of NYCHA residents, the City of New York or taxpayers, the 70 defendants charged today allegedly used their jobs at NYCHA to line their own pockets.  This action is the largest single-day bribery takedown in the history of the Justice Department.”

New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “As charged, these 70 current and former NYCHA supervisors and other staff used their positions of public trust and responsibility to pocket bribes in exchange for doling out no-bid contracts.  The extensive bribery and extortion alleged here calls for significant reforms to NYCHA’s no-bid contracting process, which DOI has recommended and NYCHA has accepted.”

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “These 70 defendants are accused of demanding kickbacks and bribes for…