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Brooklyn buildings inspector charged with working for construction company while on leave

June 9, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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A Brooklyn resident who works as an inspector with the City Department of Buildings (DOB) was arrested on charges of working in the construction industry while on approved medical leave from the DOB — collecting both his city pay while on leave and pay from his secondary employment. 

Kevin Moroney, 52, of Brooklyn, was charged Wednesday with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony. Upon conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison. 

According to a probe by the city Department of Investigation, Moroney was a construction inspector assigned to DOB’s Construction Safety Compliance Unit.  As a construction inspector, the defendant’s duties included inspecting construction sites to ensure compliance with the building code and all applicable construction-related rules and regulations.  

On or about Sept. 15, 2020, Moroney went on approved leave, citing, among other things, difficulty with walking and lifting heavy objects.  Under the terms of his approved leave, the defendant was prohibited from any secondary employment while out on leave, and as a DOB employee, the defendant was prohibited from working in any capacity within the construction industry.  

On or about Jan. 6, 2021, during the course of a routine DOB inspection of a construction site located in Brooklyn, Moroney was observed on the site, according to the charges  

The investigation found that on or about August 28, 2020, the defendant was hired by Royal Home Improvements, Inc., to identify potential construction violations on their sites, and that he was working for Royal Home Improvements in that capacity during the aforementioned inspection. 

Additionally, the investigation found that while the defendant was working as an employee of Royal Home Improvements, the defendant continued to collect his DOB salary, a value of approximately $5,489. 

Moroney has been employed at the DOB since December 2018 and receives an annual salary of approximately $61,800. DOB has served him with termination papers.              

Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “This defendant not only concealed that he was working another job, while he told the city he was unable to perform his city position, but took a second job in the very industry in which he had oversight, according to the charges. Working for a company in the construction industry, while a city buildings Inspector, is not only prohibited but compromises the very integrity of that role.” 

The investigation was conducted by DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Buildings, specifically Confidential Investigator Eliza Kopelman, under the supervision of Inspector General Gregory Cho, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Investigations Dominick Zarrella and First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Cort. 

The case is being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, specifically Assistant District Attorney Rachana Pathak, under the supervision of Jodie Kane, Chief of the Rackets Bureau.  

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2 Comments

  1. Andy Perro

    Two articles on crime featured the picture of the law enforcement official in charge of the investigation, including this one. I don’t think that’s a good idea as a quick scan leaves the impression that the person pictured could be the perpetrator.