Three Brooklyn residents have been indicted for allegedly creating and selling numerous fake safety cards to New York construction workers who did not have the necessary training, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced this week.
The defendants have been identified as 42-year-old Latecia Moore (Bed-Stuy), 35-year-old Alex Kaushanskiy (Sheepshead Bay), and 35-year-old Benedetto Bonello (Bensonhurst), who all face multiple charges for their alleged crimes.
Moore has been charged with ten counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, two counts of second-degree forgery and four counts of first-degree falsifying business records.
Kaushanskiy and his company, Odessa Safety, Inc., has been charged with three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and three counts of first-degree falsifying business records. As well, Bonello and his company, National Site Safety LLC, has been charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.
According to District Attorney Gonzalez, the investigation started back in November 2021 after the New York City Housing Authority reported to the NYC Department of Investigation that it had discovered construction safety cards that had discrepancies on them.
Amidst the investigation, DOI executed a search warrant at Moore’s place of work, recovering computers, a card printer, and numerous counterfeit OSHA (U.S. Occupation Safety & Health Administration) and SST (Site Safety Training certification) cards — both of which can be required certification cards for New York construction workers, depending on their line of work.
It is alleged that Moore manufactured the phony safety cards and later sold them to customers for $200 to $650 per card, the Brooklyn District Attorney said.
As well, during the investigation, Gonzalez said DOI proceeded to make undercover purchases of allegedly fraudulent safety cards from Bonello and Kaushanskiy’s respective companies (a fraudulent OSHA-30 card and another type of fake card from National Site Safety LLC, as well as phony OSHA and SST cards from Odessa Safety).
According to the investigation, the undercover investigators were allegedly instructed by each company to complete various paperwork — such as course attendance sheets and evaluation forms — without having to attend any classes, despite Kaushanskiy and Bonello being authorized OSHA trainers.
“Evading regulations that ensure worksite safety training and certification is inexcusable and puts people’s lives at risk. Today’s indictments should send a strong message that when alleged fraudsters offer dangerous shortcuts, or attempt to profit by getting around safety requirements, they will face serious repercussions,” said Gonzalez.
All three Brooklyn residents were released without bail and have been ordered to return to court in June.
