NEW YORK — A former chief of the New York City Fire Department pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a conspiracy charge. He admitted that he and others accepted bribes totaling $190,000 to make safety checks faster for clients of a former firefighter.
Anthony Saccavino, who was in charge of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court. His sentence is scheduled for May 14.
In September, Saccavino was arrested along with Brian Cordasco, another former city fire chief. Cordasco admitted to a plot charge in October. Cordasco will be sentenced in March.
The arrests happened during several federal corruption investigations involving Mayor Eric Adams’s team, but Cordasco’s case was not thought to be linked to those probes.
Adams, a Democrat, has said he is not guilty of charges that claim he took around $100,000 worth of free or cheap foreign flights, hotel stays, meals, and entertainment in exchange for illegal campaign donations from a Turkish official and Turkish business people.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention is responsible for regulating the installation of fire safety and suppression systems throughout New York City and ensuring fire safety rules are obeyed.
A plea deal with the government suggested that Saccavino should serve five years in prison.
It also asked Saccavino to return the $57,000 in bribes he got before the plan was found out. Officials stated that Saccavino ran the plan between 2021 and 2023.
Authorities said Saccavino lied to his subordinates in the department to explain rushing improper requests to expedite inspections.
In a statement, Saccavino attorney Joseph Caldarera said his client “made a difficult decision to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge, prioritizing his family’s well-being.”
“He values the legal system and thinks this is the best decision for his family,” Caldarera said.
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