On 28 Jan 2022, Molly Bolt <mollythebolt666@gmail.com> posted some
news:1898a084-f0d3-4758-95e5-d922af88728en@googlegroups.com:

> We didn't see Hochul the black dick hoover being led away in
> handcuffs. Why not? Merrick Garland gets kudos for these busts
> anyway.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- As many as 70 New York City Housing Authority
employees were arrested Tuesday in a federal corruption investigation.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced the largest single-day bribery
takedown in the history of the Department of Justice.

The alleged conduct started in 2013 and ran until 2023. The defendants
have been charged with allegedly accepting cash payments from
contractors in exchange for awarding NYCHA contracts.

The dozens of current and former employees of NYCHA demanded $2 million
in bribe money from contractors in exchange for giving out more than $13
million in work at NYCHA buildings, officials say. Contractors who
failed to pay a kickback were cut out of work, officials say.

Officials announced that superintendents accepting and extorting bribes
for contractors had become business as usual, occurring in almost 100
NYCHA buildings across all five boroughs -- nearly 1/3 of all NYCHA
buildings.

NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, receiving
more than $1.5 billion in federal funding every year. It is home to 1 in
17 New Yorkers.

The 70 defendants are accused of using their jobs to line their own
pockets.

Officials say that superintendents and assistant superintendents hold
great power in deciding which contractors would receive small contracts
for repair or construction work. These contracts were valued at under
$10,000 and they involved essential work in NYCHA buildings, like
plumbing or building repairs.

The contracts are no bid contracts, as they do not have to go through a
competitive bidding contract. Instead, the superintendent or assistant
superintendent can choose the contractor.

After the contractor finished the work, the superintendent or assistant
superintendent needed to sign off on the work so they could get paid by
NYCHA. Instead, they are alleged to have demanded their cut in the form
of cash bribes to sign off on or approve the repairs.

Many contactors paid these bribes, because if they didn't, the suspects
would give the jobs to someone else, officials say.

Authorities say this conduct became a regular practice that dozens of
NYCHA employees engaged in.

"Contractors who paid NYCHA superintendents should not be afraid to come
forward and speak out," Williams said. "As the complaint today makes
clear, many contractors have been brave enough to tell law enforcement
about bribes NYCHA employees demanded of them. Going forward contractors
should understand that NYCHA employees should not be asking for a single
penny."

Among the complexes were the LaGuardia Houses on the Lower East Side,
where residents say repairs were actually made quickly.

"If you file a complaint, like 'My stove isn't working' or 'My fridge
isn't working,' they'll actually come and check it out," said one
LaGuardia resident.

"It's definitely a rare one compared to the area," said another resident
in regard to the swift repairs.

While arrests were made at NYCHA facilities in all five boroughs, a
sizable number of them were at the Baisley Park Houses on Foch Boulevard
in Jamaica, Queens.

The city's Department of Investigation said the alleged fraud drove up
the costs of small repairs, diverted funds and eroded the trust of
public housing residents.

The corruption investigation involved the city's Department of
Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's
office in Manhattan.

The U.S. attorney says the investigation is ongoing and there could be
more arrests.

https://abc7ny.com/nycha-arrests-federal-investigation-nyc/14391143/