James Delayo, a former inspector for the New York City Department of Buildings has pleaded guilty to taking cash payments in exchange for falsifying paperwork relating to crane inspections and certifying crane operator exams. He is recommended to receive a two to six year prison sentence after being charged with Bribe Receiving in the Second Degree, considered to be a Class C felony.

“This is another case where responsibility and safety were trumped by greed,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. “These crimes threaten the industry that built our great city, and this fraud hurts the honest business owners and employees who every day put safety above profit.”

According to court documents, 61-year-old Delayo – who was appointed Acting Chief Inspector for Cranes and Derricks in 2008 – had been receiving cash payments between 2000 and 2008 from Michael Sackaris, owner of Nu-Way Crane. The alleged bribes were for the completion and filing of false paperwork with the DOB indicating that Nu-Way cranes had passed inspection even though some of the cranes had not been inspected at all. Delayo is also charged with receiving about $3,000 on at least two occasions to provide Nu-Way with advance copies of a written crane licensing exam, falsely certifying that Nu-Way employees including fellow-defendant, Michael Pascalli, had passed their practical examinations. Delayo attested to Pascalli’s satisfactory performance but no such exam was ever administered. The bribes totaled more than $10,000, according to Vance’s office.