A historical gap

The American justice system announced an anti-corruption crackdown on Tuesday “historical” With nearly 70 arrests and allegations of bribery and extortion in New York’s social housing and public housing sectors. Damian Williams, federal prosecutor for the Manhattan jurisdiction, announced in a press release “Largest Number of Federal Corruption Prosecutions in a Single Day in Justice Department History”.

This is “70 former and current employees of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) who were indicted on suspicion of accepting cash payments in exchange for contracts at NYCHA”Accuses American justice.

Sixty-six of the 70 people in pursuit, all of whose names, ages and residences have been released, were arrested Tuesday morning in the neighboring states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and further south in North Carolina. The New York defendants are expected to appear in federal court in the city today to be formally charged.

The total bribes are more than two million dollars

“Instead of acting in the best interests of NYCHA residents, New York City or taxpayers, the 70 defendants are suspected of using their positions to line their own pockets.”Prosecutor Williams roared.

With the support of New York municipal authorities and the US Departments of Labor and Housing, the magistrate ensured that his “The tort action (…) was committed to cleaning up and ending the culture of corruption that has plagued NYCHA for far too long”.

In detail, the justice uncovered a widespread system of bribery where NYCHA employees could demand from $500 to more than $2,000 in cash to award contracts without calling for tenders of less than $10,000. , for the repair and maintenance of social housing. “In total, the defendants demanded more than two million dollars in bribes from the contracting companies in exchange for the award of $13 million no-bid contracts”.

According to Courts, NYCHA is the largest public housing and social housing agency in the United States, housing one in 17 New Yorkers in 335 complexes in a megacity of 8.5 million residents. Founded in 1934, NYCHA receives $1.5 billion in federal funds each year.