Sign in Subscribe
Natural gas

Federal Prosecutors Charge Two Workers with Faking Safety Inspections at Con Edison

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged two Con Edison workers, Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos, with faking hundreds of safety inspections on the company's natural gas pipelines in New York City and Westchester County. The indictment alleges that Treibert and Vasconcellos lied about completing critical safety tests of welds on pipelines from 2016 to 2023 and used fraudulent paperwork to cover up their actions. The scheme put the lives of New Yorkers at risk and was only discovered through an investigation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Two Con Edison workers, Liam Treibert and Michael Vasconcellos, were charged with wire fraud for faking hundreds of safety inspections on natural gas pipelines in NYC and Westchester County.
  • The inspections were meant to ensure the pipelines were protected from gas leaks or explosions, but the workers allegedly falsified records to cover up their inactions.
  • The scheme involved passing off a copy of a single X-ray test as evidence of inspections on hundreds of pipeline connections.
  • Treibert and Vasconcellos were able to con Con Ed into paying for the non-existent inspections, which put the lives of New Yorkers at risk.
  • The indictment alleges the workers engaged in this misconduct from 2016 to 2023.
  • Con Edison has since identified and is addressing known weld irregularities linked to third-party contractors and has implemented enhanced monitoring to ensure the continued safe operation of its gas system.
  • Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated that the workers "lied about having performed hundreds of inspections and then covered up those lies with fraudulent paperwork."
  • Treibert and Vasconcellos are facing charges of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Statistics:

  • 2016-2023: The time period during which TREIBERT and VASCONECLOS allegedly committed the fraud.
  • 20 years: The maximum prison sentence for wire fraud.
  • 300+: The number of pipeline connections that Treibert and Vasconcellos allegedly passed off as having been inspected.
  • $Unknown: The amount of money Con Edison paid for the non-existent inspections.

Sources:

  • "U.S. Attorney's Office - Southern District of New York"
  • "Con Edison spokesperson Jamie McShane"

Read more