A man who fled from New York to Tennessee following a deadly 2020 hit-and-run car crash that killed one and severely injured two pleaded guilty on Wednesday, prosecutors said.
A licensed master rigger stole approximately $170,000 in wages from seven workers and splurged on a Mercedes-Benz, almost $7,000 in Harry Styles concert tickets and $4,000 in orchids, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Wednesday.
A Brooklyn man who stalked and shot a 23-year-old man in Harlem in 2021 was sentenced to 17 years in state prison Tuesday, authorities said.
“Today’s guilty plea ensures there will be significant accountability for this fatal hit and run. Reckless driving continues to be a scourge on our streets, and far too many families like Ms. Gray’s are mourning the loss of loved ones who have been killed by dangerous drivers. We will continue to treat traffic violence with the seriousness it requires,” said District Attorney Bragg.
“These workers performed extremely dangerous rigging work from the top of landmark skyscrapers, a job that requires both extreme skill and nerves of steel,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Yet, for nearly 18 months, we allege George Cole operated a lucrative company without insurance for his employees – all while stealing their wages. This indictment demonstrates the importance of collaboration among the members of our Construction Fraud Task Force to keeping New York’s workers safe, and I thank each of our partners for their work on this investigation.”
