Cornell Bozier, the former Chairman of the Board of Commissioners at the Village of Hempstead Housing Authority (VHHA), has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a massive fraud and corruption scheme. Bozier was convicted by a federal jury in April 2019 and was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack in federal court in Central Islip.
According to the investigation, Bozier exploited his position as Chairman of the VHHA to enrich himself at the expense of the elderly, disabled, and low-income residents whom he was meant to serve. He orchestrated a bid-rigging and kickback scheme, filling numerous positions in the Housing Authority with co-conspirators who were actively participating in the scheme. Bozier relied on bribes, threats, and intimidation to pressure other Board members into supporting his fraudulent schemes.
The scheme involved submitting grossly inflated bids to the Board for repair projects at properties throughout the VHHA. Bozier used his control over the Board to secure the acceptance of those bids, and then subcontracted out the work at a fraction of the amount paid by the VHHA. For example, the VHHA paid a co-conspirator company, Devlin Mac Construction, $273,900 to replace the roof at one of its apartment buildings. However, a subcontractor was paid only $23,000 to patch and repair certain sections, leaving the rest of the money unaccounted for.
The investigation revealed that Bozier and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent bids, which totaled more than $100,000 in kickbacks. The VHHA received nearly $1 million in federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during Bozier’s tenure as Board Chairman from 2011 to 2013.
“The defendant exploited his official position to enrich himself at the expense of the elderly, disabled, and low-income residents whom he was meant to serve,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Corruption at any level of government erodes public confidence in the institution and will not be tolerated in this district.”
“Cornell Bozier and his co-conspirators engaged in an egregious false billing and kickback scheme resulting in the theft of critical taxpayer dollars,” stated HUD-OIG Acting Special Agent-in-Charge William Woolard. “Moreover, they risk damaging the integrity of HUD programs and violate the trust of the communities who rely on them.”
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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