Inspector Arrested In Fatal Crane Collapse

(CBS/AP)  A city inspector has been charged with lying about checking on a construction crane that later collapsed, killing seven people in a dense Manhattan neighborhood.

Edward Marquette, 46, was arraigned and released without bail Thursday on charges of falsifying business records and offering a false instrument for filing.

"We will not tolerate this kind of behavior at the Department of Buildings," buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster said at a news conference. "I do not and will not tolerate any misconduct in my department."

Marquette, who earns $52,283 a year as an inspector in the department's division of cranes and derricks, was arrested while being questioned Wednesday night, said Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney.

If convicted, Marquette faces up to four years in prison. His lawyer, Kate Moguletscu, had no comment Thursday.

The 20-story crane broke away Saturday from an apartment tower under construction and toppled over, killing six construction workers and a visitor in town for St. Patrick's Day.

A complaint about the crane was logged March 4 to a city hot line, officials said, and Marquette said he inspected it. It was later determined he had not.

Lancaster said it is very unlikely an inspection would have prevented the accident because the equipment that failed was not on site March 4.

In addition to suspending Marquette, Lancaster said, she has ordered a full audit of his inspection reports over the past six months, and also of the cranes and derricks unit.

The crane collapse caused a swath of destruction along a full city block not far the United Nations, pulverizing a four-story brownstone and damaging at least seven other buildings.

The gigantic piece of machinery toppled over when a six-ton steel collar used to secure the crane to the building came loose, plunging into another collar that acted as a major anchor. Without that support, the spindly structure came tumbling down with terrifying force.

The collapse followed weeks of complaints by neighbors that the crane didn't appear safe. Bruce Silberblatt - a retired contractor who called in the complaint that the crane might not be sufficiently braced against the building - said the arrest stunned him.

"My first reaction was astonishment. My second reaction is anger that a person would have the gall to do this," said Silberblatt, vice president of the Turtle Bay Neighborhood Association.

City officials would not discuss Marquette's possible motive.

Investigators first interviewed him Sunday and got a copy of his route sheet. He told them that he had conducted the March 4 inspection and that it revealed no problems with the crane.

Marquette was also listed in city records as having responded to a Jan. 22 complaint by another caller who complained about the safety of workers assembling the crane. Marquette said in his report, filed two days later, that he examined the crane and found no violation.

CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano reported that the city had answered at least 38 complaints since the high rise project began. The city had issued 13 violations at the construction site in the past 27 months.

Residents said they weren't surprised by the arrest.

"It makes me very suspicious of the whole situation. I'd like to feel that it's safe to live in this neighborhood with all the construction going on," Sandra Graham said. "If he's been arrested, I think he should be made an example of."

Earlier, city officials said they had started inspecting every construction crane in use around New York City, though authorities have said there's no indication that Saturday's accident points to a larger problem.

The inspections began Wednesday, Buildings Department spokeswoman Kate Lindquist said.

[b-easy63]

.The fact IS Democrats are for the Workers and republicans are for the companies. PERIOD.

Posted by neobrian at 11:00 AM : Mar 21, 2008


Which is why a Democratic President and a Dem. Candidate supported NAFTA--the greatest boon to companies (and NOT American workers) ever. Both parties are for companies, all you have to do to know that is follow the money. Ask Hillary what is on those tax returns and why she would not vote no to retro immunity sought by telecom companies for helping Bush to illegally wire tap.

Frankly, I believe she is also in cahoots with insurance providers and will no doubt kick a lot of business their way, if/when she can hold America hostage to her version of UHC.

Face it, many in Congress are corrupt and support those who line their pockets. Where do you think the bounce in Clinton finances came from after they said they were almost bankrupt? A money tree? LOL

Both parties will keep playing Americans as long as voters spout the rhetoric, believe the hype and refuse to just look at the real picture.

[jairsman]

I''ve read some of the comments and agree that responsibility belongs to numerous level/parties(not political).Seeing as how the many complaints were never satisfactorily dealt with, how about the person at the top? The one who stated she would not tolerate the sort of thing that happened?

[nlm2383]

Every higher up involved in this, including the lazy inspector, should be charged with 7 counts of murder. That''s exactly what happened since they were too lazy and comfortable spending their money to worry about what might happen to innocent people...

[neobrian-2009]

How many people here Are In the Construction Industry?
Are you " Keyboard Crane Operators" ?
Or Maybe " Word Erectors " ?
Or maybe you are just interested in seeing that things like this don`t happen in the future.If you truly care,
check into your local candidates.Look at their voting records,see how how stand on important issues,such as job safety and construction regulations.

[neobrian-2009]

Anybody works in Industrial construction,..
Knows politics has Everything to do with ''''Working conditions'''',..
It`s a Simple fact of Life!
Very True Indeed!
Because people stick their head in the sand and make excuses does not change one thing.The fact IS Democrats are for the Workers and republicans are for the companies. PERIOD.

[djberson]

"Earlier, city officials said they had started inspecting every construction crane in use around New York City, though authorities have said there''s no indication that Saturday''s accident points to a larger problem. "

This is why we should be worried. It would have been much more reassuring if they had simply used the words "If there is a larger problem, we will do everything we can to find out and remedy it."

[creeper00]

Sumarongi hit the nail on the head. It bears repeating:

"This boils down to failure on so many different levels."

[b-easy63]

Now they need to go after the pig contractor who paid this guy the money to falseify the reports. He or they are accessories and are just as guilty the inspector.

Posted by taylpatr at 07:30 PM : Mar 20, 2008


He might have been on the take. Then again, he might have just been a lazy person who discovered he could "pretend to inspect" and never go to any of his sites, and could instead play on his X box or go eat some doughnuts. The fact is, many inspectors who do not do their jobs are not bribed, they are just lazy and figure--nothing happens much anyway--so they fake the records. The real question is, where is the QA tests to make sure inspectors are really doing their jobs and not faking reports? (Every business should have them)

[creeper00]

"Republicans always talk of less Government control, as if private contractors want to do everything correctly, and Big Bad Government prevents them from making glorious contributions to the society."

Posted by gangesdak at 04:33 PM : Mar 20, 2008

For an example of government contractors'' work ethic see the story this morning about the contractors in the State Department fired for snooping into Barack Obama''s passport records.

[b-easy63]

Enough lib vs. con comparisons. This boils down to failure on so many different levels. The inspector is accused of negligence and falsification. There are also many levels of inspection from federal, state, county and city offices that also failed. In addition the company is supposed to have their own safety department. The workers who used the equipment also have some responsibility. If the complaints are as numerous and specific as they are portrayed to be many people failed in their duties.
This is a breakdown of moral responsibility. It doesn''''t matter what affiliations the guilty have. It''''s a sign of unacceptable behavior that is all to prevalent in our society as a whole. We have promulgated an atmosphere that promotes the peter principle. People are promoted just because they have seniority or contacts, not because of their skill level. The same attitude that awards contracts to the lowest bidder in preference to who has the better product or does the work better. Our whole system is predicated on a false premise. Our mistakes are coming home to roost.

Posted by Sumarongi at 06:33 PM : Mar 20, 2008


Excellent post