Overview
- Kevin Taylor was arrested in Manhattan, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $600,000 bond, while SaferWatch CEO Geno Roefaro was arrested in Florida and made a court appearance there.
- Prosecutors allege Roefaro provided Taylor about $70,000 in cash and paid vacations to Las Vegas and the Bahamas as Taylor advanced the company’s interests.
- Taylor arranged a no-bid $19,830 pilot for the SaferWatch app in September 2023 and later urged the NYPD to award an $11 million contract, including touting the product in City Council testimony.
- Encrypted messages cited in the indictment show Roefaro pressuring Taylor in December 2023 for results; a planned January 2024 press event to announce a deal was canceled and no larger contract was awarded.
- The investigation has included FBI and NYC Department of Investigation seizures of devices from Philip and David Banks and Terence Banks, and a subpoena to SaferWatch.