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Michael Campana, 33, of Tuckahoe, pleaded guilty to a single count of tax evasion this week, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced, in connection to a bribery scheme he used to pay for personal expenses.
Between 2013 and 2017, Campana was a construction manager for a global financial firm engaged in various building projects in New York City and elsewhere. He and others participated in a scheme to obtain bribes from construction sub-contractors, who paid bribes in exchange for being awarded various construction contracts and sub-contracts.
In total, Campana received bribes in excess of $350,000 between 2014 and 2017. Some of those bribes related to Campana’s 2017 wedding, including payments of approximately $40,000 from sub-contractors directly to a catering hall in New Jersey, over $13,000 directly to a photography studio, and over $23,000 directly to a travel agent for airline tickets purchased in connection with Campana’s honeymoon.
Other payments, totaling more than $100,000, were made in cash, which Campana stashed in a safe. Campana evaded federal income tax on this bribery income, by failing to declare it on his income tax returns for the years 2014 through 2017.
In connection to the bribery scheme, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Campana and 13 others in December last year with multiple felonies that include conspiracy, commercial bribery, and money laundering.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Campana pleaded guilty int eh state court case to money laundering.
Campana is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6 next year. He will then face sentencing in New York State Court for his participation in the bribery scheme.
“Bribery and tax evasion often go hand-in-hand, forcing both the bribery victims and the taxpaying public to unfairly bear the hidden costs of corruption,” Berman said. “Today, Michael Campana admitted to federal tax evasion for failing to report his income from an illegal bribery scheme to which he already pled guilty.”
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