Google Maps
Free Upper West Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
The operator of a fraudulent construction safety school — linked to the 2022 death of a worker on the Upper West Side — has officially been sentenced, bringing some closure to a case that exposed widespread fraud in one of New York City’s most dangerous industries.
Advertisement
Alexander Shaporov, 42, who ran Valor Security & Investigations, has been sentenced to one year in jail and is also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and forfeit $100,000 in illicit proceeds. Valor, which masqueraded as a legitimate safety training operation while issuing thousands of bogus certificates, has lost its license.Shaporov’s sentencing follows his June 2025 guilty plea to multiple charges, including Attempted Enterprise Corruption, Reckless Endangerment, and Offering a False Instrument. Prosecutors said his company handed out fake safety certifications to thousands of construction workers between 2019 and 2023 — often in less than an hour and without any instruction — in violation of city safety laws requiring a minimum of 40 hours of training.
One of those workers was 36-year-old Ivan Frias, who fell to his death from the 15th floor of a residential construction site at 263 West End Avenue and West 72nd Street in November 2022. Frias had received his credentials from Valor, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
“Valor Security and Alexander Shaporov put the safety of construction workers at risk for nearly four years through their sham safety training school,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement following the sentencing. “Their recklessness had tragic consequences.”
Advertisement
The scam was fueled by cash deals with brokers, who charged workers up to $600 per certificate. Prosecutors estimate about 20,000 fake credentials were issued in total.“Construction safety is public safety, and it starts with rigorous worker training,” added Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber. “Today, Alexander Shaporov is held accountable for risking the lives of workers and members of the public.”
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
