Concrete Company Exec Tries Suicide Before Prison Sentencing

It was his second suicide attempt

A concrete-testing company chief tried to kill himself on the eve of his Manhattan sentencing, a defense lawyer said today.
    
Testwell Laboratories Inc. President V. Reddy Kancharla was convicted of racketeering and faces a maximum 25 years in prison.The company was accused of cutting corners in major projects and New York City landmarks including ground zero's signature tower and the new Yankee Stadium.
     
Kancharla was to be sentenced later today. But attorney Paul Shechtman said Kancharla was hospitalized after attempting suicide Tuesday.
    
Defense lawyers said Kancharla also tried to take his life during jury deliberations in February.

It does not look life threatening,” Shechtman said, according to The New York Times. “At this time, I’m not thinking about the case but about Reddy Kancharla and his family, for whom this has become a dark nightmare.”
    
The case involved concrete and steel test results for nearly 120 construction projects in and around the city. The stadium, ground zero's Freedom Tower and at least two dozen other buildings have been retested and declared safe.

Vincent Barone, Testwell’s vice president, was sentenced to between five and 16 years in prison. He was allowed to remain free pending appeal of his conviction on charges of enterprise corruption.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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