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Ex-Turner Exec Gets 46 Months for Bloomberg Construction Bribes
A third New York City-based construction executive was sentenced to federal prison June 15, receiving 46 months, as part of the $15-million bribery scheme involving interiors work for financial giant Bloomberg LLP at its Manhattan headquarters.
Ronald Olson, who had been vice president and deputy operations manager at Turner Construction Co., pleaded guilty to bribery charges last year. Subcontractors paid him kickbacks in exchange for contracts, according to prosecutors from the U.S. Dept. of Justice and the Southern District of New York.
Olson received about $1.45 million in unlawful cash payments that he did not report on his tax returns for the years 2011 to 2017, and took “bribes in the form of renovations and improvement projects at his Long Island residence and his Long Beach Island, N,J. house,” said the sentencing announcement.
Turner Construction said in a statement to ENR that Olson was a former employee who "betrayed our company, his fellow employees, and our core values of honesty and integrity. Turner has actively cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation and applaud their efforts in prosecuting the individuals involved."
Others have already received time behind bars after pleading out.
Anthony Guzzone, Bloomberg's ex-director of global construction, was sentenced Jan. 19 to 38 months in prison for evading taxes on $1.45 million in illegal payments, and was ordered to pay restitution of $574,005 in unpaid taxes.
A Guzzone subordinate, Michael Campana, was sentenced July 24, 2020 to 24 months in prison for evading taxes on $420,000.
Vito Nigro, a construction manager at Turner, pleaded guilty to evading taxes on more than $1.8 million in bribes is scheduled for sentencing July 1, said prosecutors.
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