Robert Morgenthau, the district attorney for Manhattan, said in a statement, “Delayo was arrested on June 6, 2008, after admitting to investigators that he had accepted numerous bribes totaling more than $10,000 from Sackaris, 48, the de facto owner of Nu-Way Crane Services, from 2002 to 2007. The charges come after a New York State crane board member, Frank Fazzio, was the subject of an investigation into the awarding of crane licenses to operators who failed to pass exams, and an an agreed settlement by a New York IUOE Local in relation to charges of mafia-related corruption.
“Further investigation, including a search at the offices of Nu-Way Crane Services, revealed the bribery scheme actually dated back to 1996. On approximately 20 occasions, Delayo received cash payments ranging from $200 to $500 from Sackaris to complete and file false paperwork with the Department of Buildings (DoB) indicating that Nu-Way cranes had passed inspections when in fact the cranes had not been inspected at all or Delayo had performed only perfunctory inspections. Approximately six times, Delayo accepted cash payments from Sackaris ranging from $200 to $500 to certify that Nu-Way employees seeking crane operator licenses had passed their practical examinations.”
One employee who, the district attorney charges, received a false certificate was 24-year-old Michael Pascalli, of Bethpage, New Yrok. The attorney said, “Delayo completed and filed documents attesting to defendant Pascalli’s satisfactory performance on a practical exam when in fact Delayo never administered such an exam to Pascalli.” The attorney also charges that Delayo provided advance copies of written crane licensing exams.
At the time of his arrest, Delayo was Acting Chief Inspector for Cranes and Derricks for the New York City Department of Buildings. He is charged with one count of Bribe Receiving in the Second Degree, a class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Additionally Delayo, Nu-Way Crane Service Inc., and Sackaris are charged with 37 counts of Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree, a class D felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison; 37 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison; and 37 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison.
Nu-Way Crane Service Inc., Sackaris and Pascalli are also charged with one count of Bribery in the Second Degree, a class C felony. Sackaris is also charged with one count of Intimidating a Victim or Witness in the Third Degree, a class E felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison. Pascalli is also charged with one count each of Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree, Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.