Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the arrest today of an Inspector with the City Department of Buildings (“DOB”) in connection with the undisclosed secondary employment of the Inspector while on approved leave from the DOB, collecting both his City pay while on leave and pay from secondary employment. DOI initiated an investigation after the DOB referred this matter to DOI. The investigation was worked in partnership with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and DOB.
KEVIN MORONEY, 52 of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged today with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony. Upon conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison.
DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “This defendant not only concealed that he was working another job, while he told the City he was unable to perform his City position, but took a second job in the very industry in which he had oversight, according to the charges. Working for a company in the construction industry, while a City Buildings Inspector, is not only prohibited but compromises the very integrity of that role. DOI was pleased to work with the Buildings Department and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on this investigation.”
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said, ““Our relentless focus on corruption in construction and development continues with this indictment of a Buildings Inspector who stole from the City and violated the public trust amid a fiscal crisis and rising unemployment. Thanks to innovative partnerships like our Construction Fraud Task Force, our office continues to hold those who engage in fraud, wage theft, and safety violations accountable, and we encourage anyone with information about these practices to contact us on WhatsApp at (646) 712-0298. I thank Commissioner Garnett and our colleagues at DOI for their meticulous investigation and continued collaboration.”
City Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca said, “Our inspectors are expected to uphold our values of safety and integrity, and we have zero tolerance for employees who violate the public trust. I want to thank DOI for their thorough investigation on behalf of the people of New York City."
According to the indictment and DOI’s investigation, the defendant was a Construction Inspector assigned to DOB’s Construction Safety Compliance unit. As a Construction Inspector, the defendant’s duties included inspecting construction sites to ensure compliance with the Building Code and all applicable construction-related rules and regulations. On or about September 15, 2020, the defendant went on approved leave citing, among other things, difficulty with walking and lifting heavy objects. Under the terms of his approved leave, the defendant was prohibited from any secondary employment while out on leave, and as a DOB employee, the defendant was prohibited from working in any capacity within the construction industry, at any time. On or about January 6, 2021, during the course of a routine DOB inspection of a construction site located in Brooklyn, the defendant was observed on the site, while he was on approved leave at the time. The investigation found that on or about August 28, 2020, the defendant was hired by Royal Home Improvements, Inc., to identify potential construction violations on their sites and that he was working for Royal Home Improvements in that capacity during the January 6, 2021 inspection. Additionally, the investigation found that while the defendant was working as an employee of Royal Home Improvements, the defendant continued to collect his DOB salary, a value of approximately $5,489.
MORONEY has been employed at the DOB since December 2018 and receives an annual salary of approximately $61,800. DOB has served MORONEY with termination papers.
Commissioner Garnett thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and his staff, for their partnership on and prosecution of the case. Commissioner Garnett also thanked DOB Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca and her staff for their cooperation on this investigation.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty
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