Construction kickbacks in Westchester?Construction cutbacks and similar shenanigans shenanigansNoun, pl Informal 1. mischief or nonsense 2. trickery or deception [origin unknown] are usually associated with the big, bad city. An investigation in Westchester County may prove otherwise. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of State is investigating widespread corruption and racketeering Traditionally, obtaining or extorting money illegally or carrying on illegal business activities, usually by Organized Crime . A pattern of illegal activity carried out as part of an enterprise that is owned or controlled by those who are engaged in the illegal activity. in Westchester's construction industry, as first reported in Gannett Suburban Newspapers last week. The state's Organized Crime Task Force probe, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the news story, involves the recent guilty plea of an executive from the Robert Martin Company, one of Westchester's largest owners and developers. Ross J. Muscalino, a former vice president of construction at the firm, pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion The process whereby a person, through commission of Fraud, unlawfully pays less tax than the law mandates. Tax evasion is a criminal offense under federal and state statutes. A person who is convicted is subject to a prison sentence, a fine, or both. charges in November and was sentenced last week to pay restitution to his former employer and back state taxes and to serve five years probation. The task force told Gannett Muscalino is involved in a larger investigation and that their Construction Industry Strike Force, in White Plains, was working on cases geared toward racketeering and corruption in the construction industry. While Muscalino only pleaded guilty to the tax charge, a civil law suit, filed by Robert Martin Company, asserts Muscalino set up a dummy corporation to receive free work on his Mount Pleasant home from subcontractors working with the development company. The suit also charges Muscalino would in return approve contracts for those subcontractors. Cash kickbacks for Muscalino near $1 million were also alleged in the suit. Corruption was discovered internally at the Robert Martin Company two and one-half years ago, a top official told Gannet gannet: see booby. gannet Any of three oceanic bird species (family Sulidae) closely related to the booby. Gannets are found in the North Atlantic, where they are the largest seabirds, and in temperate waters around Africa, Australia, and New . At that time a number of employees were dismissed. Civil suits are said to have been failed against other employees as well. In other legal documents, Robert Martin charges that two contractors paid company employees cash kickbacks in exchange for contracts. They also accuse the contractors -- Briar briar: see brier. Electric Inc. or Verplanck and Fleetstar Construction Co. -- billed the developer for false projects and materials that were never used. |
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