Richard Marini Pleads Guilty in NYC Sham Training School Case

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Sept. 17 that Richard Marini, 73, the training director of Valor, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and one count of reckless endangerment in the second degree. Marini is expected to receive a sentence of 1½ to three years in state prison on Oct. 5.

Details of the fraudulent operation

The sham safety training school sold construction safety certificates and OSHA training cards to approximately 20,000 untrained students. Valor employees maintained payment arrangements with brokers to obtain 40-hour safety cards, supervisor cards and specialized training cards within days, overnight or the same day, and the cards were often backdated. The company charged $300-$600 for a basic safety training card, with many payments made in cash.

Impact on workers and prior outcomes

One recipient of the fraudulent credentials, Ivan Frias, died in 2022 after falling from the 15th floor of a West End Avenue construction site. Four other Valor employees have already been sentenced to penalties including jail time, fines and community service, and the company lost its security license.

Statements from the district attorney

According to Safety+Health Magazine, Bragg stated that Marini will serve time in state prison for jeopardizing the lives of thousands and recklessly endangering the life of Ivan Frias. Workers trusted Marini to train them on how to work safely at construction sites, and that trust was broken.

The facts in this article are drawn from the report published by Safety+Health Magazine at https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/final-defendant-in-fraudulent-nyc-training-school-case-pleads-guilty/.