Former Rochester City Employee is Sentenced to One Year and One Day for Bribery

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced that William Redden, 58, of Rochester, NY, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison by United States District Judge Charles J. Siragusa after pleading guilty to a felony charge of bribery. Redden was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Resnick, who handled the case, stated that Redden was a inspector employed by the City of Rochester, working within the City's Department of Community Development (DCD). The DCD is responsible for demolishing homes or businesses which pose a hazard. On multiple occasions between 2003 and 2008, Redden had access to the bids of contractors vying for emergency demolitions. After reviewing the bids, he then called an employee of a contractor who had not yet submitted a bid and advised him of the amount of the current lowest bid received by the city. The owner of the contracting company was then advised and would immediately turn in a lower bid, thus winning the city contract for that specific demolition job. Redden would received approximately $500 each time he "rigged" a bid.

"My office will not tolerate corruption on any level" said U.S. Attorney Hochul. "The playing field should be level for any contractor wishing to take part in a competitive bidding process and I will use all the tools available to ensure that those who try and corrupt the process are brought to justice."

The sentence was the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of James H. Robertson, Special Agent in Charge.