NY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY EMPLOYEE
PLEADS GUILTY TO ACCEPTING BRIBES

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and ROSE GILL HEARN, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced that MELVIN PORTERFIELD, a former Project Officer with the New York City School Construction Authority (“SCA”), pleaded guilty today to a one-count felony Information charging him with accepting bribes in connection with SCA public school construction projects.

PORTERFIELD, 59, admitted during his guilty plea that between August 2004 and October 7, 2004, while he was a Project Officer with the SCA, he provided an SCA contractor with internal and confidential estimates for upcoming SCA public school bid projects for work in Manhattan and elsewhere, in exchange for cash payments.

The plea was entered before United States District Judge RICHARD J. HOLWELL. As a result of his guilty plea, PORTERFIELD faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29, 2006 at 12:00 pm, also before Judge HOLWELL.

Mr. Garcia praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DOI’s Office of the Inspector General for the School Construction Authority, and the New York State

Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force for their investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney JANE A. LEVINE is in charge of the prosecution. 

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06-036