27 January 2021
Anthony Guzzone, 51, former director of Global Construction at Bloomberg LP in New York was sentenced to 38 months in prison for tax evasion, announced the Justice Department’s Tax Division. He attempted to evade his federal income taxes for more than eight years. He also failed to report to the IRS over $1.45 million in bribes he received from subcontractors performing work at Bloomberg construction jobs.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said that $15-million bribery scheme was carried out related to major interiors work in Manhattan for Bloomberg LLP. Prosecutors allege that Guzzone was involved in a multiplayer bribery and bid-rigging scheme, colluding with subcontractors and former Turner Construction managers for construction work. Turner had completed projects for Bloomberg.
Guzzone, together with other Bloomberg managers and officials at Turner Construction, received some $6 million in bribes in cash. Guzzone also had construction work performed on his home for which he did not pay anything. He also received tickets to expensive events like the Super Bowl.
Michael Campana, a Bloomberg manager and Guzzone’s subordinate, had subcontractors pay for the catering hall at his wedding, as well as the wedding photographer. He was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison for his failure to report the bribery income. He was also ordered to pay $574,005 in restitution to IRS.
Former managers at Turner Construction, Ronald Olson and Vito Nigro, also pleaded guilty to evading taxes on $1.4 million and $1.8 million, respectively, in bribes they received in the scheme. They will be sentenced in the future.
Neither Turner Construction nor Bloomberg have been prosecuted. They cooperated with law enforcement officials.
In 2017, the investigators and police officers raided Turner Construction and Bloomberg’s New York City-based offices.
Prosecutors said last year that 22 subcontractors and vendors pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in the conspiracy. They paid $8.8 million in restitution.
enr.com reported.
