An inspector with the New York City Department of Buildings allegedly goaded homeowners into bribing him so he could make property complaints filed against them go away, according to charges announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz on Thursday.
City building inspector Zabihullah Ibrahimi pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of bribery and official misconduct after prosecutors accused him of offering homeowners a way out of their regulatory troubles if they paid him cash to close their complaints.
The bribes cited by prosecutors took place over various homeowner interactions in 2023 and as recently as early 2024. In a statement, Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo said the agency is cooperating with investigators, and that Ibrahimi is not currently working as a city inspector.
“When we became aware of the alleged behavior of this employee, we immediately referred the issue to our partners in law enforcement and have worked closely with them throughout their investigation,” Oddo said in a statement. “This employee has already been placed on leave without pay, and in the interest of public safety we have already conducted a thorough audit of his previous work here at the department and taken appropriate enforcement actions.”
Ibrahimi’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.
Ibrahimi was tasked with vetting complaints against property owners made through 311 and issuing violations if they were credible, among other duties, according to prosecutors.
He allegedly told homeowners that the fixes their properties needed in order to reach legal status would be expensive, and sometimes said they would cost several thousand dollars. Ibrahimi allegedly then told property owners to pay him in exchange for closing the complaints against them, according to prosecutors.
In one instance, Ibrahimi allegedly told a St. Albans homeowner facing potential property violations to give him $3,500, the DA’s office said. She told him she didn’t have the money, and prosecutors said that Ibrahimi told her to go to the bank and get $1,000.
He waited outside her home, according to the allegations, and she returned with the money. Agency records show that her case was closed because Ibrahimi couldn’t get access to the property because the property owner did not show up for her appointment.
Ibrahimi faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
