Gov't: Official billed $1.2M for no WTC tower work

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Jan 6, 5:55 PM EST
Gov't: Official billed $1.2M for no WTC tower work

By SAMUEL MAULL
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- A construction official falsely billed $1.2 million for supplies not delivered to clean up a toxic ground zero skyscraper in exchange for cash, clothes and trips to the Caribbean, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Robert Chiarappa was the purchasing agent for the John Galt Corp., which was hired to clean up the former Deutsche Bank tower after it was heavily damaged in the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center across the street.

Prosecutors said Chiarappa told companies to submit phony bills for plastic sheeting, safety equipment, gloves and protective clothing; he signed off on the invoices and used his take of the payments to pay credit card bills, lease luxury automobiles and take a vacation in the Turks and Caicos islands, prosecutors said.

Chiarappa pleaded not guilty to six counts of grand larceny at his arraignment Tuesday and was held on $100,000 bail.




Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TOXIC_TOWER_INDICTMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-01-06-17-55-26

[LisaM]

1. The John Galt Corp?

Who would do business with a company with that name? Not I.

[enlightenment]

3. My first thought, too!

yeesh.

[Arctic Dave]

4. My thought too. WTF! You have got to be kidding me.

Is the person handing out checks a complete dumb ass?

[Judi Lynn]

6. Creepy, isn't it? Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. n/t

[LisaM]

10. It gets worse - they were charged with manslaughter, too

in the death of some firefighters - for cutting corners, basically.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/12/22/2008-12-22_bronx_contractor_john_galt_corp_charged_.html

[satya]

12. Whaddya wanna bet some Ayn Rand worshipping bushie hired them BECAUSE of their name? nt

[Greyskye]

2. "Who is John Galt?"

The John Galt Corp? You're freaking kidding me!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characters_in_Atlas_Shrugged#John_Galt

[pinniped]

5. This is not Iraq! There's a slim chance you may get caught here.

3 months of home detention sounds about right for this guy.

[Wizard777]

8. If you get caught doing it in Iraq you get a 600 million bonus.

:banghead:

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. It should be three months of home detention, with a 24/7 soundtrack of...

Bernadette Peters reading "Atlas Shrugged."

[bluedigger]

7. Too bad

they never passed Leahy's War Profiteering Prevention Act...

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-119&tab=summary

20 years sounds about right to me.

[WhiteTara]

11. I read about this company at the time

and everyone was like...who are these people that they get contract for something like this over seasoned companies. It was the beginning of the swindle that has gutted our country.