A Great Neck man who owns a Brooklyn construction company was indicted Monday on bribery and conspiracy charges after prosecutors alleged he paid a New York City Buildings Department supervisor to fast-track more than 250 construction approvals, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced.
Jih Yeuan “Mike” Hwang, 50, of Great Neck, was charged in connection with a scheme that allegedly ran from June 2021 through March 2025, according to the Manhattan DA’s office. Hwang is the owner of Hwang’s Construction Management Corporation.
Prosecutors allege Hwang paid Jake Udeh, a former supervisor at the New York City Department of Buildings, between $500 and $1,000 in cash per construction project in exchange for expedited approvals. Beyond the per-project cash payments, Hwang also allegedly covered international travel expenses for Udeh, including hotel rooms and flights to Paraguay and Japan. Those travel benefits totaled more than $65,000, according to court documents.
Udeh held a supervisory role over a team of plan examiners responsible for handling major construction projects across all five boroughs. According to the DA’s office, Udeh used that position to either reassign construction approvals to members of his team or directly approve projects himself in exchange for cash and other benefits. Prosecutors say his alleged bribery conspiracy extended to more than 300 construction projects citywide between 2021 and 2025, with total benefits exceeding $75,000.
Udeh was charged with three counts of bribe receiving and three counts of conspiracy. Hwang faces charges of bribery and conspiracy. A Brooklyn man and a New Jersey man were also each charged with bribery and conspiracy in connection with the same scheme, the DA’s office said.
Bragg addressed the core of the alleged misconduct in a prepared statement. “As alleged, Jake Udeh used his supervisory role at the Department of Buildings to help his co-conspirators leapfrog those abiding by the rules for as little as $500 a project,” Bragg said.
New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani also issued a statement condemning the conduct described in the indictment. “Public trust in government depends on the fair and impartial enforcement of laws, without favoritism or exception,” Tigani said. “If these allegations are true, they would represent a profound betrayal of the public’s trust, as well as of the many dedicated public servants who work every day to keep our city safe and those responsible must be held fully accountable for their actions.”
The indictment raises broader concerns about construction oversight in New York City. A supervisor with authority over plan examiners handling major projects citywide would be positioned to influence the approval pipeline across a significant volume of work. Prosecutors say that is precisely what Udeh allegedly did, steering approvals in exchange for a steady stream of cash and personal travel benefits across a nearly four-year period.
Hwang’s company, Hwang’s Construction Management Corporation, operates out of Brooklyn. Court documents indicate the approvals Hwang allegedly paid to accelerate spanned multiple boroughs, though specific project locations were not detailed in the DA’s announcement.
The case is being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.