Valor Security and Investigations, New York City, and six of its executives were charged Feb. 28 in New York with allegedly operating a fraudulent safety school, according to ABC News.
The indictment states Valor Security and Investigations claimed to have trained 20,000 construction workers between December 2019 and April 2023, saying the workers were fully trained in “safety training, safety inspections, safety plans and security services” after 40 hours of instruction. However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the company allegedly issued “thousands and thousands of safety certificates and cards without providing any training at all” and charged between $300 and $600 for a bogus site safety training card.
Construction workers have been required by law to receive safety training since 2017.
According to the indictment, Valor Security and Investigations; its president, Alexander Shaporov; and five other employees are charged with enterprise corruption.
One New York City worker, Ivan Frias, died in 2022 after falling from the 15th floor of a job site on the Upper West Side. According to the indictment, Valor Security and Investigations allegedly falsely certified Frias had completed 10 hours of safety training, including eight hours of fall-protection training.
New York City Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo said any construction worker who received a card from Valor Security and Investigations should seek retraining.
NRCA's classes, webinars and products offer information to ensure you properly train your employees and can keep them safe on job sites. Visit NRCA's bookstore and course catalog.
