Dive Summary:

• A Conflict of Interest Board fined Robert Bracome and Rene Torres $2,000 each for receiving and accepting $5 each to remove household waste from a residential property in Queens in 2011.
• The two employees broke the law by using their positions for personal benefit and by obtaining money from a citizen for a job compensated by the city.
• The two workers have each retired from the department.

From the article:

"DSNY workers are not allowed to solicit or accept tips."

"A resident told the workers that she would leave them $20 to take away a rug, two bundles of wood, and seven bags of recycling and trash..."

"The Sanitation Workers acknowledged that their conduct violated two provisions of the City's conflicts of interest law."