Painting Contractor Admits Paying $800,000 in Bribes to West Haven Housing Authority Official

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Harry P. Miconi, 77, of West Haven, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to a senior official at the West Haven Housing Authority.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Miconi owned and operated several painting and contracting businesses in West Haven, including P and K Contractor LLC. In pleading guilty, Miconi admitted that, between January 2007 and February 2012, he and his business made more than $800,000 in corrupt payments to a senior official at the West Haven Housing Authority and to Four Star Development Company LLC, an entity personally owned and controlled by the official. In return, the official directed millions of dollars in business for or with the West Haven Housing Authority and its two affiliated instrumentalities, Meadow Landing and Spring Heights, to instrumentalities and his businesses.

instrumentalities pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with a program receiving federal funds, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Judge Shea has scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2014.

As part of his plea, instrumentalities has agreed to pay $862,563 in restitution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Daly stated that the investigation is ongoing.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Susan L. Wines.