The proprietor of a fraudulent building security firm that faked security certifications for 1000’s of employees, together with one man who fell to his loss of life from a job website in 2022, has pleaded responsible to reckless endangerment and different expenses and can do a 12 months behind bars, the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace introduced.
The corporate, Valor Safety, beforehand one of many largest firms in New York Metropolis for job security coaching, got here below scrutiny in 2022 after employee Ivan Frias fell to his loss of life from a 15-story Higher West Facet constructing he was engaged on at 263 West Finish Ave., at W. 72nd St.
Between December 2019 and April 2023, the corporate, based by Alexander Shaporov, licensed that 20,000 laborers had every accomplished 40 hours of programs, based on the district lawyer’s workplace. Laborers can not work at most building websites within the metropolis with out finishing the coaching.
However based on courtroom paperwork, many of the employees who had been licensed by Valor had been by no means skilled — together with Frias. Valor filed paperwork displaying that Frias had obtained security coaching, together with eight hours of fall safety, however Frias by no means took the programs, courtroom paperwork state.
Shaporov and Valor Safety each pleaded responsible to at least one rely of tried enterprise corruption, 10 counts of providing a false instrument and one rely of reckless endangerment. Below the phrases of their pleas, Shaporov is predicted to be sentenced on Oct. 3 to at least one 12 months in jail, 100 hours of neighborhood service and the forfeiture of $100,000. Valor additionally misplaced its safety license.
“Valor Security is facing accountability for operating a sham safety training school, imperiling the workers in one of New York’s most dangerous industries,” Bragg mentioned. “Valor’s president, Alexander Shaporov, also pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering Ivan Frias, who tragically died when he fell from a construction site without proper training. We will continue to root out fraud with our partners at DOI and DOB,” he added, referring to town’s Division of Investigation and Division of Buildings.
“Ignoring the city’s construction training standards poses grave risks and can have tragic consequences,” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber mentioned.
The plea comes sooner or later after a building employee was killed by a slab of concrete falling on him as he labored on a constructing shed in Brooklyn.
In that deadly accident, DOB issued a number of violations for work with out a allow — together with demolition in progress of a walk-in freezer and a business kitchen — and for failing to keep up the construction. As well as, officers mentioned, DOB ordered all building work on the website to cease instantly and for the constructing to be vacated and sealed.
