Construction firm owner guilty of wall collapse that killed worker in Brooklyn
A reckless Brooklyn business owner faces up to 16 years behind bars for his conviction in the gruesome death of an employee whose last shift ended beneath tons of debris from a wall collapse.
Jimmy Liu, 49, was found guilty Thursday of criminally negligent homicide and other charges in the Sept. 12, 2018, incident that killed the worker after his boss ignored concerns from employees and neighbors in Sunset Park about the risk of impending tragedy, said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
“The death of Luis Almonte Sanchez was a preventable tragedy that would have been avoided if the operator of the construction site followed all safety protocols or heeded warnings about unsafe conditions,” said Gonzalez.
Co-defendant Wilson Garcia Jr., 48, an on-site foreman for the WSC Group Inc., was found guilty of criminal mischief in the death of 47-year-old worker Sanchez, but acquitted of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter.
Authorities said the body of Sanchez, buried beneath the rubble while doing foundation work, was not recovered until a day later due to unstable conditions exacerbated by heavy rain at the site.
According to Gonzalez, before the tragedy, Liu continued with the work despite warnings that a rear wall was unstable and word from a neighbor adjacent to the site that her patio and garage had caved in.
Authorities also charged Liu with creating hazardous conditions by failing to follow the design plans submitted and approved by the Department of Buildings.
Both defendants were due for sentencing on April 26 in Brooklyn Supreme Court by Justice Denny Chung, who presided over the trials for Sanchez and Garcia. The company owner, who was also convicted of tax fraud and other charges, faces a term of eight to 16 years behind bars.
Garcia could receive a term of one year. According to prosecutors, the Liu-owned company worked on the site between April and September of 2018, removing a one-story building for replacement with a four-story manufacturing structure. The work included a new basement level to serve as a parking garage nine feet below the property.
Liu’s brother Tommy had previously pleaded guilty to petit larceny in the case, officials said.