Owner of Chicago Area Construction Company Charged With Bribing Cook County Official

CHICAGO — The owner of a Chicago area construction company has been charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official, and two counts of using a facility in interstate commerce (a cell phone) in order to facilitate the acts of bribery.

As noted within the information, from approximately 2016 to June 2019, ALEX NITCHOFF, 56, of Lemont, is alleged to have conspired with other individuals both known and unknown to bribe Lavdim Memisovski, an employee of the Cook County Assessor’s Office who performed the function of Commercial Group Leader.  As a commercial group leader, Memisovski assessed property values for Cook County commercial properties and reviewed property tax appeals for commercial properties.  Nitchoff, along with other individuals, provided Memisovski with home improvement materials, home improvement services, contracts for electrical work, jewelry, meals, sporting events tickets, and other items of value, intending to influence Memisovski in connection with his work as a Commercial Group Leader.  Memisovski, in return, ensured that appeals of property assessments related to Nitchoff and his business associates were routed to himself so that he could extend deadlines for the filing of appeals and reduce assessed property values.

The information is announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert W. Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Didwania and Thomas P. Peabody.

The public is reminded that an information contains only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The charge of bribery carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, and each charge of using a facility of interstate commerce carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.