Grand jury could charge former buildings commissioner

Former buildings commissioner Eric Ulrich, who lost his Adams administration post in a scandal, may be facing some legal trouble.

In November, the one-time City Council member from Queens resigned as head of the Department of Buildings when his ties to a gambling investigation emerged. Now, a grand jury appears ready to indict Ulrich on bribery-related charges, the New York Daily News reported.

According to the New York Times, as part of the investigation, prosecutors examined whether Ulrich obtained a market-rate apartment at below market rate and whether a sofa was given to him free or at a discount by someone with business before Ulrich’s agency.

The investigation into Ulrich became public when investigators from District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office served him with a search warrant outside his home in Queens. They questioned him and seized his cell phone. Although the details of the investigation were unclear at the time, sources confirmed its connection to gambling.

A year earlier, Ulrich had disclosed lottery winnings of over $50,000 on his annual financial disclosure form. Records also indicate that Ulrich declared tens of thousands of dollars in other gambling winnings during his tenure as a Republican Council member.

In a Facebook post in January, Ulrich announced that he had recently obtained a license as an insurance broker.
– James Van Bramer

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