Wednesday, July 27, 2022

MAYOR ADAMS, BIC COMMISSIONER CROTTY ANNOUNCE ARRESTS RELATED TO UNLAWFUL WASTE HAULING ACTIVITY ON JFK AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

 

Three Construction Companies Accused of Operating Waste Hauling Business Without BIC Registration

 

Arrests Coordinated in Partnership with NYPD, Queens DA, and Office of the Inspector General for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey


New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Business Integrity Commission (BIC) Commissioner and Chair Elizabeth Crotty, the Office of Inspector General for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PAOIG), and Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced that three companies have been charged with unlawful waste hauling in connection with construction work to modernize John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. The three companies involved in this investigation — LMC Trucking Corp., Ferreira Construction Co. Inc., and Bond Civil & Utility Construction, Inc. — all lack the BIC license or registration that is required in order to operate as a waste hauler in New York City.

 

“We cannot allow commercial waste hauling to become a dirty business,” said Mayor Adams. “New Yorkers deserve clean business practices in every industry, and on my watch, that’s what they will get. We will not tolerate criminal activity that threatens our public safety or the integrity of a critical industry. These three companies operated without the proper trade waste license or registration, and one even conducted trade-waste-related business with members of organized crime. And now all three companies will pay the price and face the consequences. I want to thank our partners in law enforcement for their diligent work in holding these companies accountable and making clear that law and order doesn’t just apply to violent crime.”

 

BIC — the city agency charged with regulating the commercial waste hauling or “trade waste” industry — even previously denied the application for a waste hauling registration of LMC Trucking Corp. The company’s application was denied in 2020 on the grounds that the company falsely represented who operated the entity in its application to BIC, conducted trade waste-related business with members of organized crime, and defrauded a trade waste union by paying employees in cash and failing to pay union benefits. The company’s continued operation of its trade waste business in defiance of BIC’s denial led to the arrest and related charges. 

 

Operating a trade waste business without a BIC license or registration is punishable by imprisonment of up to six months and a criminal fine of up to $10,000 for unlicensed activity, or $5,000 for unregistered activity for each day of violation.

 

“Corruption in the trade waste industry undermines fairness, transparency, and public faith in good government,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Brendan McGuire. “This case is yet another example of the important role the Business Integrity Commission plays in demanding honesty and accountability from those who conduct business in this city.”

 

“Companies that operate without the required regulation by BIC present a public safety and corruption risk to New York City. Illegal trade waste hauling cannot be allowed to occur on public works projects,” said BIC Commissioner and Chair Crotty. “LMC Trucking Corp. is an especially egregious case because the company’s application for a BIC registration was denied when the company was found to lack the good character, honesty, and integrity required to operate lawfully in this industry. I would like to express my gratitude to the NYPD, the PAOIG, and the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their collaboration on this matter.”


“It is imperative that we keep the busiest port on the East Coast operating safely and with the utmost integrity,” said New York City Police Department Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Not only is it our responsibility, it is critical to the infrastructure, economy, and vitality of our nation. This investigation exemplifies the significance of interagency collaboration when serving New Yorkers, and we thank everyone involved in this important case from the Mayor’s Office, the New York City Business Integrity Commission, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.”


“We thank BIC for their diligence and collaboration in this investigation of unlicensed waste haulers,” said Inspector General for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey John Gay. “Integrity is integral to our work, and we insist on high standards including proper licensing of all vendors conducting business on our projects. We deeply appreciate BIC’s work on this matter.”

 

“The regulation of our city’s commercial waste hauling industry prevents corruption and criminality from seeping into a vital service market,” said District Attorney Katz. “Those who attempt to skirt the law by operating without a proper license, or operating despite a denial of a license application, should be held accountable. We thank the BIC for their diligence in making sure that New York’s private trade waste and wholesale market industries remain safe and reliable.”


This enforcement operation furthers BIC’s mission of keeping criminality and corruption out of the trade waste industry.

 

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