Rockland Woman Sentenced In Fatal NYC Gas Explosion

NEW YORK CITY, NY — A Rockland County resident will spend time in prison for her role in a 2015 fatal gas explosion in Manhattan that destroyed three buildings, killing two people and seriously injuring 13 others.

Maria Hrynenko and her son Michael were indicted in 2016. Three others were also indicted: an unlicensed plumber from Queens, Athanasios "Jerry" Ioannidis; a contractor from the Bronx, Dilber Kukic; and a Queens plumber named Andrew Trombettas who allowed Ioannidis to use his license.

On Friday, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. announced that Hrynenko, 59, Ioannidis, 63, and Kukic, 44, had been sentenced to 4-12 years in state prison. They had been found guilty of all charges by New York State Supreme Court jury in November.

“Developers and property owners across the City should keep today’s sentencing in mind as New York’s building boom continues into 2020,” Vance said in the announcement. “If you cut corners based on expediency and profit and kill or injure New Yorkers in the process, you are engaging in criminal conduct and my Office will seek significant prison time."

Hrynenko owned the building at 121 Second Ave. and her son, who died while awaiting trial, managed it. She ordered one hookup from the first floor restaurant, the Sushi Park, connecting its gas meter to the four floors of apartments above it. Kukic, her contractor, hired Ioannidis.

But since Ioannidis did not have a proper license, he paid another plumber, Andrew Trombettas, to allow Ioannidis to use his credentials, prosecutors said at the time. Trombettas got three years probation and 100 hours of community service in a plea deal earlier this year for the scheme.

It was was inspected and deemed inadequate by Con Ed and the FDNY. The restaurant's gas was turned off.

Then her son, Kukic and Ioannidis devised a hidden system, officials said, installing a series of pipes and valves connecting the units in 121 Second Avenue to an uncapped, commercial-grade gas meter in the adjacent, vacant property at 119 Second Avenue which she also owned.

They called Con Ed and got the restaurant's gas turned back on, too. But on March 26, Con Ed came out to do an inspection there. Before they arrived at 2 p.m., Kukic and Ionnadis turned off the hidden gas system at 119. Con Ed reps conducted tests opening several valves.

After they left, Kukic and Michael Hrynenko went into 119 and turned the tenants' gas back on not realizing the valves were still open. At 3 p.m., someone in the restaurant smelled gas and notified Maria Hrynenko, who called her son.

Officials said surveillance footage depicted Michael Hrynenko and Kukic entering the Sushi Park basement and then swiftly sprinting out of the restaurant without warning any of the patrons or workers and running toward the East 7th Street entrance to the building basement where the illegal gas delivery system was set up.

Soon thereafter, the gas ignited and caused an explosion, officials said.

Moises Locon, an employee of Sushi Park, and Nicholas Figueroa, a diner, were killed. At least 13 other people suffered serious injuries as the lower floors of 121 Second Avenue buckled and caught fire, which quickly spread and destroyed adjacent properties, leading to the eventual collapse of the properties at 119, 121, and 123 Second Avenue.

Hrynenko was convicted of:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

"Today’s prison sentences hold these defendants accountable for taking shortcuts, defying City regulations, and making decisions motivated by greed that ultimately cost innocent people their lives," said DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett. "A cornerstone of DOI’s work is its commitment to public safety, aggressively pursuing individuals who attempt to sidestep the rules and break the law for their own gain and despite the potential consequences. DOI’s investigators were proud to have stood alongside our partners at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Fire Department, Police Department and Department of Buildings from the aftermath of this terrible tragedy, through the vigorous investigation and prosecution leading to today’s outcome."