Officials reported yesterday that Hector Colon, a former supervisor of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), had been found guilty of bribery and extortion. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement that Colon misused his position of authority by taking money in return for issuing or approving payments on contracts to contractors at several NYCHA developments.
According to the trial, Colon ran his plan from 2019 to 2021 and regularly requested payments equal to about 10% of the contract value. “Corruption is a pernicious crime that is hard to identify, has a negative impact on government agencies, and undermines public confidence in government institutions. Hector Colon violated his obligation to NYCHA residents, the City of New York, and taxpayers by abusing his position of public trust as a superintendent by extorting thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “The jury’s unanimous verdict sends a clear message that those who use their public offices for personal gain will be held accountable.” Colon was convicted after a four-day trial; this is the second conviction after a larger raid in February that involved 70 NYCHA employees.
The conditions that many tenants endure and the acts of dishonest staff have drawn criticism on NYCHA. The NYC Department of Investigation’s Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber emphasized how these problems affect locals and how they may result in higher service prices. Along with highlighting the pervasive corruption—59 of the 70 people charged were found guilty—she also noted that NYCHA has complied with 11 of the Department of Investigation’s 14 recommendations to remedy these issues.
Colon, 46, of the Bronx, New York, was given a sentence of 20 years for extortion under color of official power and a maximum of 10 years for bribery of federal programs. The judge will decide on the final sentence. The HUD Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations were among the law enforcement organizations that received recognition for their contributions to the investigation that resulted in this conviction. HUD OIG Vicky Vazquez underlined the agency’s dedication to bringing criminal charges against those who jeopardize HUD programs.
NYCHA’s Office of Inspector General encourages anyone with information regarding employee misconduct to get in touch with them immediately. You may find out how to get in touch and take part in the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program. These outlets demonstrate a firm stance against the misuse of public positions and carry on the fight against corruption within the city’s housing authority.
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