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Prosecutors in Manhattan deal with unsavory pests and dilapidated offices

Conditions at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan are so bad that an inmate who sat in one of its conference rooms asked to hold the next meeting at the prison, where it is more comfortable, according to a former prosecutor who worked at the office.

The office has coped with bedbug and ant infestations, lead-contaminated water, dilapidated furniture and bad smells, the Wall Street Journal reports. By most accounts, the place is “a stinky, shabby dump,” according to the article headline.

Lawyer Brian Jacobs, formerly deputy chief of appeals in the office, traced one strange odor to a dead rat decomposing in a radiator. Former prosecutor Randall Jackson recalls the surprise awaiting him when he opened a desk drawer after moving to an office—an “outrageous amount of mold,” he told the Wall Street Journal, likely from a forgotten piece of cheese.

Former prosecutor Sharon Cohen Levin recalled a feeding frenzy after she announced her departure after 25 years of service. Levin had accumulated a coat rack and other furniture that was in such demand that workers were absconding with the items while she was out to lunch.

The building owner, the General Services Administration, responded to test results showing high lead levels in the water by covering the water fountains in garbage bags. The GSA has since installed filters on the fountains.