Former New York fire chief pleads guilty to accepting bribes to speed up inspections

A former New York Fire Department chief pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal conspiracy charge, admitting that he and others solicited tens of thousands of dollars over two years for preferential treatment in scheduling safety inspections .

Brian Cordasco, 49, of Staten Island, pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to conspiring to solicit and receive bribes, a felony he committed while he was head of the department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention.

He told Judge Lewis J. Liman that he and others accepted bribes in exchange for ensuring that some people and businesses received fire safety inspections “earlier than they were entitled to.”

Prosecutors say he pocketed $57,000 of the $190,000 in kickbacks generated by the conspiracy, which spanned from 2021 to 2023.

At a sentencing scheduled for Feb. 19, Cordasco faces up to five years in prison and a fine of between $30,000 and $300,000. In a plea memo, prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines would call for a five-year prison sentence, though that decision would be up to the judge.

Two former New York fire chiefs face bribery charges related to safety inspections

Cordasco was arrested three weeks ago along with another FDNY chief. At the time, both men pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, corruption and making false statements.

The arrests came amid several federal corruption investigations into members of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, although Cordasco’s prosecution was not believed to be related to those investigations.

Adams, a Democrat, pleaded not guilty two weeks ago to accepting about $100,000 in free or discounted international flights, hotel stays, meals and entertainment in exchange for illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and members of the Turkish business community.

On Tuesday, a former New York official was charged with tampering with witnesses and destroying evidence in connection with the investigation that led to the charges against Adams.

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