Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Corey Gilmore, a former superintendent for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Gilmore was found guilty of soliciting and accepting approximately $32,000 in bribes from contractors in exchange for awarding repair contracts or approving repair work valued at around $215,000. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman after a one-week trial where Gilmore was convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right.
"Corey Gilmore abused his position at NYCHA to demand bribes from contractors for his personal gain," stated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "The women and men of this Office are committed to pursuing those who abuse the public’s trust."
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the United States, receiving over $1.5 billion annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). When repairs or construction work require outside contractors, services are typically acquired through a bidding process unless contract values fall below a certain threshold, allowing designated staff like superintendents to hire contractors without multiple bids.
Gilmore held several superintendent positions at NYCHA developments in the Bronx between 2016 and 2023. He demanded cash payments from contractors as bribes for awarding contracts without competitive bidding processes. In total, he accepted about $32,000 in bribes related to contracts worth approximately $215,000.
Of 70 NYCHA employees charged with bribery and extortion offenses arrested in February 2024, 63 have pled guilty while three were convicted after trial. Gilmore is among those sentenced following conviction at trial; cases against four remaining defendants are pending.
Individuals with information on illegal conduct by NYCHA employees can contact OIGNYCHA@doi.nyc.gov or call (212) 306-3356. Those involved may consider self-disclosure through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at USANYS.WBP@usdoj.gov.
In addition to his prison term, Gilmore, aged 47 from West Haverstraw, New York, received two years of supervised release and must pay restitution amounting to $32,000 along with forfeiting an equivalent sum.
Clayton commended investigative efforts by various agencies including the New York City Department of Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); HUD Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; Special Agents; Task Force Officers from his office; all collaborating within HSI Document & Benefit Fraud Task Force framework.
This prosecution forms part OCDETF operation aiming disrupt dismantle criminal organizations via prosecutor-led intelligence-driven multi-agency approach—further details available https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
Handled Public Corruption Unit Assistant US Attorneys Jacob R Fiddelman Catherine Ghosh Emily Deininger Matthew King lead prosecution assisted Paralegal Specialist Braden Florczyk
