Brooklyn company, two Queens men indicted over alleged sale of fake construction safety cards • Brooklyn Paper

A Brooklyn company allegedly sold construction workers a shortcut to the job site — fake safety certifications for $500 that prosecutors say were issued without workers completing the required training.

Redcode Inc., which has a location on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn and another in Queens, along with its owner and an associate, has been indicted on charges that they made and sold counterfeit Occupational Safety and Health Administration and New York City Department of Buildings safety cards to workers who never received the required training, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday.

The defendants — Redcode owner Lutfur Rahman, 34, of Jamaica, Queens, and associate Mohammed Tushar, 34, of Howard Beach, Queens — were arraigned Sept. 8 in Brooklyn Supreme Court before Justice Danny Chun. They were released without bail and ordered to return to court Nov. 4.

“Proper safety training is a foundational safeguard for everyone on a construction site. When individuals or companies cut corners and issue certifications without the required instruction, they undermine the integrity of our safety systems and endanger workers and the public,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “This case reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that training standards are followed and that fraudulent practices are identified and addressed promptly. I am grateful to our prosecutors and our partners at DOI and DOB for their excellent work on this important case.”

According to the investigation, undercover DOI investigators posed as construction workers and visited Redcode’s Brooklyn and Queens locations between April 22 and July 16, 2025.

Investigators allegedly met with Rahman and Tushar, who agreed to provide them with Site Safety Training, or SST, cards and OSHA cards for $500 each without requiring them to complete the necessary coursework.

The undercover investigators were allegedly asked to sign attendance sheets to make it appear they had attended training sessions. Redcode then allegedly submitted information to the DOB and an OSHA-designated training intermediary falsely indicating the workers had completed the required training.

The intermediary subsequently issued OSHA cards, while the DOB issued SST cards, according to prosecutors.

Gonzalez announced the indictment alongside New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata and Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani.

Shihata said the alleged scheme could put workers and the public at risk.

“City and state workplace safety standards exist to protect workers. Put simply, shortcutting required training and coursework puts lives at risk, as charged, these defendants allegedly sold fraudulent safety cards to construction workers who never completed the required training,” she said in a statement. “I thank the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Buildings for their continued commitment to holding accountable those who undermine workplace safety in our City.”

The DOB requires construction workers to complete safety training before working on most construction sites in New York City. OSHA, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, requires a 30-hour course focused on accident prevention, while the DOB requires that coursework plus an additional 10 hours of Site Safety Training.

Tigani said the city has seen improvements in construction safety since SST card requirements were introduced, but that fraudulent certifications could put those gains at risk.

“Simply put, fraudulent cards risk undermining those gains and putting lives in danger. Fraud will not be tolerated,” Tigani said. “Allowing untrained workers onto a job site puts them at risk and can put their coworkers in danger as well.”

The DOB invalidated SST cards issued by Redcode as part of its response to the alleged fraud.

“The invalidation of SST cards issued by Redcode was done because we cannot, in good conscience, allow untrained workers on job sites,” Tigani said. “I want to thank our partners in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Department of Investigation, and all of the dedicated members of DOB who helped uncover and stop this fraudulent activity.”

Rahman, Tushar and Redcode Inc. are charged with three counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, three counts of second-degree receiving reward for official misconduct and six counts of second-degree falsifying business records.