Anthony Saccavino, a former Chief of the New York City Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for his involvement in a bribery conspiracy. This announcement was made by Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Saccavino had previously pled guilty on January 29, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who also imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton commented on the case: “Anthony Saccavino undermined the New York City Fire Department, an institution he swore to serve. Chief Saccavino led a pay-to-play bribery scheme that would offend the sensibilities of every hard-working New Yorker. Public officials who violate the public trust for financial gain will be pursued vigorously by our Office and our law enforcement partners.”
The indictment revealed that from 2021 to 2023, Saccavino led a conspiracy involving $190,000 in bribes from Henry Santiago Jr., a former FDNY firefighter. In return for these payments, Saccavino and another high-ranking FDNY official expedited inspections and plan reviews for Santiago’s clients within the Bureau of Fire Prevention. As part of this scheme, Saccavino personally gained $57,000 and lied to subordinates and law enforcement about his actions.
Saccavino's sentence includes two years of supervised release following his prison term and orders him to pay forfeiture of $57,000 along with a fine of $150,000.
Jay Clayton praised the work done by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation in handling this case. The prosecution is managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Matthew King, and Daniel H. Wolf from the Office’s Public Corruption Unit.
Anyone with information related to bribery or fraud involving FDNY or BFP employees is encouraged to contact squad6complaint@doi.nyc.gov or (212) 825-2402. Those involved are urged to consider self-disclosure through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at USANYS.WBP@usdoj.gov.