Merchant Marine Academy Supervisor Sentenced For Bribery Scheme

A former public works supervisor at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point was sentenced to nine months in prison on Friday for receiving a bribe as a public official, according to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Frank DeCarlo, 67, of Franklin Square, a former supervisory carpenter for the Department of Public Works, pleaded guilty in April to charges connected to defrauding the United States by steering maintenance and repair contracts to favored contractors in exchange for bribes. He was additionally sentenced to three years of supervised release, fined $10,000 and ordered to forfeiture $48,000 for funds he illegally received as part of the scheme, officials say.

“DeCarlo’s solicitation of bribes in exchange for the awarding of government contracts compromised the integrity of the procurement system,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde said in a press release.

Officials say DeCarlo, while employed by the Academy's DPW from 2003 to 2016, solicited and submitted fake bids on contracts he supervised in order to steer the awarding of maintenance and repair contracts to contractors who bribed him. DeCarlo, as part of his position, was in charge of the majority of construction contracts at the Academy.

“Serving the public is a privilege,” IRS CI Special Agent-in-Charge Robnett said. “This sentence sends a message to all those who abuse the public trust that investigators for IRS-CI will uncover these schemes and protect taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury.”

John McCormick, a former planner/estimator for the Department of Public Works of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, was also sentenced in October for taking bribes as a public official.

Photo: Frank Eltman/AP