New York Construction Report staff writer
The president of a Manhattan security company and the company itself pleaded guilty Thursday to charges stemming from a fraudulent safety training scheme that contributed to the death of a construction worker in 2022.
Alexander Shaporov, 42, and Valor Security & Investigations admitted in New York State Supreme Court to operating a sham safety school that issued thousands of fake certifications without providing the legally required training. Shaporov and Valor each pleaded guilty to one count of attempted enterprise corruption, 10 counts of offering a false instrument, and one count of reckless endangerment.
Shaporov is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 3 to one year in jail, 100 hours of community service, and the forfeiture of $100,000. Valor Security also forfeited its license to operate.
“Valor Security is facing accountability for operating a sham safety training school, imperiling the workers in one of New York’s most dangerous industries,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “We will continue to root out fraud with our partners at DOI and DOB.”
Prosecutors said Valor and Shaporov issued falsified training cards to roughly 20,000 workers between December 2019 and April 2023. Among them was Ivan Frias, who died after falling from the 15th floor of a West End Avenue construction site in 2022. Authorities said he had not received the mandated 40 hours of safety training despite holding a certification from Valor.
“Shaporov and his company ignored the city’s construction training standards, and one of those workers paid with his life,” said Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber.
The case was investigated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Worker Protection Unit in coordination with the Department of Investigation and the New York City Department of Buildings.
Assistant District Attorney Rachana Pathak is leading the prosecution, with support from the DA’s Rackets Bureau and the Investigation Division. Officials credited forensic analysts and training compliance officers across city agencies for contributing to the case.
Bragg encouraged anyone who believes they have been subjected to unsafe working conditions to contact the Worker Protection Unit at (646) 712-0298.
