[Photo from March 26 by George Jarema via Facebook]
In an exclusive today, the Post reports that an unnamed plumber "has admitted to illegally tapping into a gas line" at 121 Second Ave. at the orders of the landlord's son, Michael Hrynenko Jr.
Per the Post:
The unidentified tradesman confessed to rigging a gas-supply system for apartments at 121 Second Ave. but blamed it on his boss to “deflect” any fault from himself, law-enforcement sources said.
Authorities haven’t decided whether to cut a deal with the worker in exchange for his testimony or use his statement against him, one source said.
Sources told the Post that anyone suspected of causing the devastation, which killed two men and injured more than 20 people, "could face charges including second-degree manslaughter and reckless endangerment."
As previously reported, authorities believe that an improperly and possibly illegally installed gas line at 121 Second Ave. led to the destruction three buildings on March 26.
In other developments, the Post reports that landlord Maria Hrynenko has hired a new attorney, replacing Thomas Curtis who had previously spoke out on her behalf with mixed results.
"It wasn't working out between us," Curtis told the Post. "The whole thing is very strange. I think she's made a mistake."
17 comments:
everyone that was involved in this murder should face the consequences.
while the city has an arcane bureaucrat system of filing and permits; and requires a master plumber for most filings; that does not excuse setting up these dangerous conditions.
they ALL took a chance and got caught. even con edison!
If the plumber points the finger at the son to get a plea deal, the next question is whether the mother claims ignorance and throws her son under the bus or whether they both blame the plumber and take their chances together. Remember the original story is that Maria sent her son Michael and the plumber down to check the gas leak reported by the restaurant owner.
Supposedly residents and the sushi restaurant had been told by Maria to call her and not Con Ed if they smelled gas. If that's true that would imply a cover up of the illegal gas line by both Maria and her son Michael.
It's hard to believe a landlord would be supplying all that extra gas to tenants and not know how it was being paid for, and if her son was supervising the illegal work it's hard to believe he did this all on his own. The only conclusion is that they both knew all about it.
I would not be surprised to see an arrest and perp walk of both mother and son very soon.
What what he in, the Marines? The landlord's son "ordered" him to do something that he knew to be illegal/unsafe? And the consequences would have been what, had he not done it? Thrown off the job at worst. Sadly, the city does not have a hotline/ratline whereby trades people can report illegal activity in the building trades.
So this plumber claims he rigged gas lines because he was "ordered" to. That's an excuse? If my boss orders me to embezzle money and split the profits with him, should I do it because I have been "ordered" to do it? Give me a break. Don't cut a deal with this criminal. Charge him and the landlord.
Anything for money from plumbers to congressmen. No one is held accountable and everyone thinks that if no one is looking, they can do anything to anyone. Low sense of morality and innocent people pay with their lives.
If there's anything I learned from my HS history class (or maybe it was a course on ethics), "I was just following orders" generally doesn't hold water.
If anyone is interested, there is a wake tonight for Nicholas Figueroa from 3-9 at the Ortiz Funeral Home in Washington Heights, 4425 Broadway between 189th and 190th.
Did anyone verify if the tenants upstairs had a functioning gas line for their stoves, etc?
This would tell us that the landlord was illegally siphoning gas that was unapproved by Con Edison, but I haven't seen it covered anywhere.
-k
Unreal.
Anybody in this who reasonably should have known that you need permits and inspections when dealing with deadly, explosive materials needs to go to jail. - do not pass GO. I have dealt with the city on this and had ONE LICENSED PROFESSIONAL and TWO AMATEURS offer to do gas line work for me under the table. I've only been here 3 years fercrissakes.
The people in charge of permits are nice but genuinely don't care and drag their feet. When I rented here I looked up complaints against the building and OVERWHELMINGLY the last notation on every report of a violation said that basically "no one answered" when they came to inspect.
In the absence of enforcement we need deterrence. Jail time is the ONLY thing scary enough to work.
When they told me I could be shut down for 5 months and fined $5K (for a diff kind of non-dangerous permit) I actually shrugged my shoulders. But JAIL... I don't eff around with that.
My place is GASLESS and has all its permits :) - I'm just too smart to screw around with things that cause death. But apparently there are some people who think saving money is worth dead people and/or pets. PLEEEEASE NYC - put them in JAIL.
The NY Daily News says murder charges are now pendng. The DA will probably convene a grand jury to obtain indictments. The gas was being diverted to provide heat to the apartments, so stealing the gas would have been a big money saver. It seems everyone is lawyered up and pointing fingers at each other. 3:37M, you may be getting your wish very soon.
Please, folks. Stop quoting the Daily News. It's owned by Mortimer Zuckerman. One of the biggest creeps to ever INFILTRATE THE EV. Here, look at his resume: executive chairman and former CEO of Boston Properties, one of the largest real estate investment trusts in the United States.
Will the spotlight on risk last long enough that whatever gets built next at that corner has safe gas lines with no corners cut?
@Walter: Well, then we also have to stop quoting both the Post & WSJ, as they are owned by Rupert Murdoch, a man who does not have to worry that he'll be accused of journalistic integrity.
Time to hear from council members, community boards and groups etc. oddly silent.
No excuses.
Let's stop quoting local media. There are alternate sources of information available now. One of them is right here. I think mainstream media steal more from here than the other way around.
Can someone explain how Con Ed didn't know about this? There is gas in the restaurant...using enough gas for "several additional sources" and they don't know it.
Also how did this benefit the owners? Didn't they pay the same amount for the gas used?
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