A New York City prosecutor charged the site safety manager for Bovis Lend Lease LLC with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with a fire that damaged a Deutsche Bank high-rise in lower Manhattan 16 months ago and killed two firefighters. The building had been undergoing asbestos abatement and demolition.
The indictments were announced Dec. 22 by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau against Jeffrey Milofchik, who had been Bovis site safety manager at the 40-story Deutsche Bank, which was adjacent to the destroyed World Trade when the fire occurred in August 2007. Firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino died attempting to suppress the fire. Also named in the indictment were Mitchel Alvo, identified as abatement director for The John Galt Corp., the subcontractor hired by Bovis to handle the bank demolition, and Salvatore DePaola, identified as a foreman for Galt and believed to be a member of Laborers' union Local 79 in New York City. All were arraigned in New York City on Dec. 22.