Former State Engineer John Hall Pleads Not Guilty to Accepting Bribes, Other Charges

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A former state engineer is accused of accepting bribes and filing fraudulent expense reports for a contractor on projects in New York.

John Hall of Owego has pleaded not guilty in Seneca County Court to the indictment accusing him of grand larceny, receiving bribes and falsifying business records. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says the case came from a joint investigation that included the state inspector general, comptroller and the Office of General Services, where he worked.

The indictment claims Hall took bribes from 2006 to 2009 from the contractor working on emergency repairs at state facilities.

He was responsible for reviewing and approving contractor expense reports and is accused of soliciting construction and home-improvement items, including a backhoe that cost more than $40,000, for personal use.