Second Former NYCHA Superintendent Convicted Of Bribery And Extortion Offenses At Trial

By DOJ News Photos: YouTube Screenshots Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”); William S. Walker, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Vicky Vazquez, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (“HUD OIG”); and Jonathan Mellone, the Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), announced that Hector Colon, a former New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) superintendent, was convicted Friday of bribery and extortion under color of official right for taking thousands of dollars from contractors in exchange for awarding those contractors no-bid contracts or approving payment on previously awarded contracts at NYCHA developments for approximately three years.  The verdict followed a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “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...