Could Indictment of Bronx Nonprofit Manager Jeopardize State Economic Grants?

Written by Laura Nahmias on . Posted in Blog, Economic Development, Housing, Trials/Hearings.




via the Daily News

A Bronx nonprofit organization that received $375,000 in regional economic development grants from the Cuomo administration last year is being scrutinized after one its managers was indicted for bribery this week.

Satnarine Seebachan oversaw contract bidding for Bronx Shepherds Restoration Corporation, a nonprofit that provides housing and other services. The U.S. attorney’s office alleges that between 2006 and 2010, he took bribes from contractors seeking lucrative federal grants to do home repairs.

BSRC’s $375,000 award from the state Regional Economic Development Councils was for home repairs similar to the ones cited in the indictment.  Homes and Community Renewal agency spokesman Christopher Browne said the agency is “monitoring the situation closely.”

” Grant money awarded to BSRC is generally released based on reimbursement for completed work,” Browne said. “No future money will be released and no future awards will be made unless we are confident that all the state’s legal requirements — including those that prohibit contractors from hiring those convicted of criminal offenses — have been met.”

Browne would not acknowledge or comment on whether or not the state’s Inspector General or other law enforcement agencies are looking into BSRC’s potential misuse of state grants.

The grants’ awardees are required to submit progress reports to the state, and a general compliance report detailing the grants’ success in job creation. That is supposed to come out some time this fall.

The indictment is included below:

Seebachan, Satnarine Indictment




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  • MA_Benjamin

    And how are the State Economic Development Council grants involved? The bribery involved and detailed in the indictment stem from 2006-2010. But I guess where there is smoke, there’s fire.