In big news for those wanting to see the corruption get cleared out of leftist cities, the Trump Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, March 14, that the former Chief of the New York City Fire Department, Anthony Saccavino, had been sentenced to years in prison for his role in a massive bribery scheme.
Beginning, the statement noted that Saccavino would be locked up for three years for the scheme, stating, “Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ANTHONY SACCAVINO was sentenced to 36 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to solicit and receive bribes in his role as the Chief of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”) Bureau of Fire Prevention (“BFP”).”
It then added that the same judge who handled Saccavino when he pleaded guilty sentenced him to those years of prison time here, noting, “SACCAVINO previously pled guilty on January 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who also imposed today’s sentence.”
Later on, the statement noted that the aging former fire chief will not only face prison time, but has to forfeit what he got from the bribery scheme and pay a very heavy fine on top of that. It said, “In addition to the prison term, SACCAVINO, 61, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $57,000 and a fine of $150,000.”
Describing the scheme for which Saccavino was just sentenced, the DOJ noted that it took place over years and led to nearly $200,000 in bribes being paid, saying, “From 2021 to 2023, SACCAVINO was the leader of a conspiracy to solicit and receive $190,000 in total bribe payments from a former FDNY firefighter named Henry Santiago, Jr.”
Noting what Saccavino was being bribed for, the press release then noted that the Fire Department was expediting certain inspections, saying, “In exchange for those bribe payments, SACCAVINO and another high-ranking official at the FDNY, Brian Cordasco, used their authority within the BFP to improperly “expedite” BFP inspections and plan reviews for Santiago’s customers.”
Continuing, the DOJ press release noted that Saccavino made $57k out of the enterprise and lied to both his colleagues and law enforcement to cover it up. It said, “SACCAVINO personally profited $57,000 as part of this scheme. To carry out this conspiracy, SACCAVINO lied to his BFP subordinates to justify otherwise improper expediting requests. SACCAVINO also lied to law enforcement when interviewed about his involvement in the scheme.”
"*" indicates required fields
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who helped unravel the bribery scheme and hold Saccavino accountable, said: “Anthony Saccavino undermined the New York City Fire Department, an institution he swore to serve. Chief Saccavino led a pay-to-play bribery scheme that would offend the sensibilities of every hard-working New Yorker.”
Further, Mr. Clayton commented on bribery matter generally, saying that the DOJ will do whatever it takes to hold those involved in bribery schemes accountable for their crimes. He said, “Public officials who violate the public trust for financial gain will be pursued vigorously by our Office and our law enforcement partners.”