Corrupt NYC building inspector could spend 7 years in prison

Luis Soto dismissed 778 violations and collected more than $41,000

From left: 159 Suydam Street and Cyrus Vance
From left: 159 Suydam Street and Cyrus Vance

A Staten Island buildings inspector could spend up to seven-and-a-half years in prison for his role in a bribery scam in which he pocketed thousands of dollars and falsified records for 24 city-owned properties in Brooklyn.

Luis Soto was one of 50 people arrested in a building-inspection scam spanning hundreds of buildings in Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to the New York Post. 

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Along with a colleague, Soto dismissed 778 violations and pocketed more than $41,000 in bribes, according to the Staten Island Advance. He pleaded guilty in January.

In total, dozens of landlords, inspectors and contractors exchanged roughly $450,000 to dismiss violations across 106 properties, according to the Advance. Five employees from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development were charged, as well as 11 Department of Buildings staffers and multiple property managers. [NYP] and [Staten Island Advance]Claire Moses