A former superintendent of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Hector Colon, was convicted on charges of bribery and extortion, as announced by officials yesterday. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Colon abused his power by accepting cash in exchange for awarding or approving payment on contracts to contractors at various NYCHA developments.
The trial revealed that Colon had operated his scheme between 2019 and 2021, where he frequently demanded kickbacks of roughly 10% of a contract's value. "Corruption is an insidious crime—difficult to detect, corrosive in its effect on government agencies, and damaging to the public’s trust in government institutions. As a NYCHA Superintendent, Hector Colon abused his position of public trust by demanding thousands of dollars of bribes from contractors, betraying his duty to NYCHA residents, the City of New York, and taxpayers. The jury’s unanimous verdict sends a clear message that those who use their public offices for personal gain will be held accountable," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Colon's conviction follows a four-day trial and is the second following a broader takedown involving 70 NYCHA personnel in February.
NYCHA has been criticized for the actions of corrupt employees and the conditions faced by many tenants. Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber of the NYC Department of Investigation noted the impact of these issues on residents and the potential increase in service costs due to such payoffs. She also highlighted the widespread corruption, with 59 out of 70 charged individuals convicted, and mentioned that NYCHA has implemented 11 of the 14 recommendations from the Department of Investigation to address these concerns.
Colon, 46, from the Bronx, New York, has been sentenced to a maximum of ten years for federal program bribery and twenty years for extortion under color of official right. Final sentencing will be determined by the judge. Law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the HUD Office of Inspector General, were praised for their role in the investigation that led to this conviction. Vicky Vazquez from HUD OIG emphasized the commitment to prosecuting those who threaten HUD programs.
The Office of Inspector General for NYCHA urges anyone with information about misconduct by its employees to contact them directly. Information on how to reach out and participate in the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program is available. These channels continue the effort to combat corruption within the city's housing authority and show a strong stance against the abuse of public positions.
