LI Port Authority Worker Accepted Bribes From Foreign Govts: AG

A Port Authority official from Nassau County was indicted on charges of official misconduct on Wedneday after prosecutors say she accepted bribes from a Staten Island businessman.

Marlene Mizzi, 54, of Wantagh, was charged with three counts of second-degree receiving a reward for official misconduct, which is a felony. She is also facing multiple misdemeanor counts of receiving unlawful gratuities and official misconduct. Joseph Jourieh, 58, of Staten Island, was charged with two counts of second-degree rewarding official misconduct. They both face a maximum sentence of four years in jail if convicted of the top counts.

Mizzi, who worked at John F. Kennedy International Airport, has been suspended from her position.

“We have zero tolerance for those who violate the public trust for personal benefit,” said New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. “As we detail in the indictment, the defendant used her position at the Port Authority for personal gain, accepting gifts and benefits from individuals working for foreign governments in exchange for special treatment. We’ll continue to work with our partners in government to hold accountable those who jeopardize the integrity of our government agencies.”

Mizzi has been an employee of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 35 years and, prior to her suspension, worked as an assistant airport duty supervisor at JFK. Jourieh operates a company, East Coast Concierge, which works on behalf of the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations, arranging transportation and other services when government officials travel to New York.

During the annual United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, with airport security at a heightened state, Port Authority rules clearly state that foreign state aircraft must depart JFK within two hours of arrival and there is no overnight parking of foreign state aircraft. However, according to Underwood, from 2014 until she left the Port Authority in June 2018, Mizzi would grant exceptions to these rules, without proper approval, for certain foreign countries, most notably Qatar.

During these years, Underwood said that Mizzi authorized numerous Qatari diplomatic planes to stay overnight during the UN General Assembly, sometimes for multiple days – allegedly in exchange for gifts and benefits from Jourieh. In 2014 and 2015, Underwood said that Jourieh arranged free limousine rides and meals for Mizzi, and provided her with a gift of a watch. In 2017, Mizzi received bottles of wine and other gifts from another foreign state’s representative in return for the same overnight parking privilege, Underwood said.

“The Port Authority has made ethics and integrity the foremost responsibility for its employees and has zero tolerance for misconduct or corruption in any form," the Port Authority said in a statement. "This is the basis of the tough, systematic integrity reforms we have implemented over the past year. If proven, this individual’s alleged actions represent an egregious violation of the public trust. But we are gratified that the investigation of these matters was prompted by a complaint from a Port Authority employee to the agency’s Office of Inspector General. That complaint resulted in an investigation in collaboration with our law enforcement partners which was swiftly conducted, and resulted in today’s arrest. The PA will now pursue the strongest possible disciplinary action.”

Mizzi also allegedly received other gifts, including bottles of wine, from other foreign countries for her work at JFK, according to Underwood. On many occasions, representatives from foreign countries would personally deliver gifts to Mizzi at JFK, Underwood said. The Port Authority Code of Ethics has a strict zero-tolerance policy on the acceptance of payments, gifts, free meals or transportation from vendors or anyone with whom the Port Authority does or is likely to do business.

"The Port Authority will not tolerate employee misconduct or corruption of any kind," said Michael Nestor, the inspector general for the Port Authority. "Today’s indictment will serve notice to all Port Authority employees that the agency will not tolerate violations of the public trust or any other corrupt acts. The Port Authority Office of Inspector General and its Law Enforcement partners will aggressively identify, investigate and bring to justice those who corrupt the integrity of the agency.”

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