Ex-East Hampton Building Department Employees Indicted After Accepting Monetary Bribes For Permits: DA

EAST HAMPTON — Former East Hampton Town building department employees were indicted after reportedly accepting monetary bribes in exchange for providing building permits and related documents, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

According to the investigation, in 2024, East Hampton Town Senior Office Assistant Evelyn Calderon, 46, of Mastic, and East Hampton Town Building Inspector Ryan Benitez, 37, of East Hampton, acting in concert, reportedly accepted cash bribes from various contractors in order to issue accelerated building permits and Certificates of Occupancy, Tierney said.

Specifically, when a bribe was received from a contractor, Calderon would reportedly prioritize a bribe-paying contractor’s application even though she was supposed to process applications in chronological order, the DA said.

Typically, a building permit application in East Hampton Town takes months to be issued, Tierney said.

However, once a bribe was received, Calderon, working together with Benitez, would reportedly issue a building permit within days, the DA said.

Calderon would reportedly receive a cash payment from a contractor and, on the same day, sometimes within minutes, pay half of the bribe payment to Benitez, the DA said.

Once Benitez received his bribe payment, he would then reportedly schedule and conduct the inspection expeditiously in order to issue the building permit to the contractor, the DA said.

On April 2, Calderon and Benitez surrendered to the District Attorney’s Office and were arraigned on the indictment before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei on charges including five counts of third-degree bribe receiving, Class D felonies; and five counts of official misconduct, Class A misdemeanors, Tierney said.

The offenses are considered non-bail eligible under New York State law, meaning prosecutors cannot ask for, and judges can not set, bail, the DA said. Therefore, both were released on their own recognizance, Tierney said. They are due back in court on May 21,and face 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison if convicted on the top count, the DA said.

Calderon is being represented by Edward Burke Jr., and Benitez is being represented by Austin Manghan, the DA said. Burke said he had no comment; Manghan could not immediately be reached for comment.

"Public servants are expected to act with honesty and fairness in the course of their duties," said Tierney. "The law is meant to be administered equitably for everyone, not manipulated by the corrupt actions of those who are unjustly enriched by accepting cash bribes."

East Town officials also issued a statement Thursday: "The Town of East Hampton is grateful for the work of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and thankful for today’s announcement of charges related to matters within the town’s building department," the statement read.

"The building department plays a critical role in protecting public safety and ensuring that building codes are applied fairly and consistently. That work is essential to making sure the places where residents live, work, and gather are safe."

The statement continued: "When Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez became aware of potential misconduct, she immediately directed town officials to look into the matter. That process brought serious issues to light, which town officials then brought to the District Attorney’s office. The town worked with the District Attorney’s office throughout the investigation so the matter could be examined thoroughly and handled through the appropriate legal channels."

The conduct underlying the charges occurred during the tenure of the former chief building inspector, town officials said, adding, "It does not reflect the way the building department operates today."

The building department, officials said, is now under new leadership, and with the matter no longer "hanging over its work," the focus can now be on continuing to improve the department and the service it provides to residents.

Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez stated: "I am grateful to District Attorney Raymond Tierney and the Public Corruption Bureau for their thorough work on the allegations we brought to their attention. For the past 18 months, this investigation has weighed heavily on our building department staff and on those who rely on the department’s services. Through it all, our staff continued to serve the public professionally under very difficult circumstances, and I am grateful to them for that. Now that the District Attorney's investigation has resulted in charges, we can more fully continue our work rebuilding the department under the leadership of Principal Building Inspector Richard Normoyle."

Because it is an active legal matter, the town will not comment further at this time, officials said.