Indictments in Deutsche Bank fire that killed two from FDNY
Three construction supervisors and a subcontractor have been indicted in the 2007 deaths of two firefighters at a ground zero skyscraper, a person familiar with the investigation said Monday.
The person familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide are among the charges. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity because the indictment had not been announced.
The charges cap a 16-month investigation that exposed numerous failures by city officials, though the person told the AP the indictment does not charge New York City or any government officials in the blaze.
The individual said the defendants include two senior officials at subcontractor John Galt Corp. and a manager with general contractor Bovis Lend Lease. The Galt company is also being charged.
Lawyers for Galt and two officials named in the indictment didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment Monday.
Firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino were found dead of smoke inhalation in the former Deutsche Bank tower, a building heavily damaged in the Sept. 11 attacks. The tragedy exposed a series of failures at the project, including no standpipe to supply water to the upper floors.
Firefighters’ family members, who had pressed to hold city and state officials liable for the blaze along with contractors, had been told in recent weeks that an indictment would likely not name the government.
Joseph Graffagnino Sr., whose son was killed in the blaze, said Monday the results of the investigation “wasted a lot of taxpayers’ time and a lot of taxpayers’ dollars.”
“The city seems to go after the little guys. They could have done this from the second day after the fire,” he said. “Why wait (16) months just to go indict the John Galt Company?”
