Crooked Code: City Inspector Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Bribery of Probe Permits

A City of Chicago building inspector was sentenced December 17, 2010 to three years in federal prison after being convicted at trial in September on bribery charges for accepting two $1,000 cash bribes from a cooperating contractor and demanding two $2,000 cash bribes from developers to approve inspections at residential and commercial construction sites, federal law enforcement officials and the city’s Inspector General announced. The defendant, Jose Hernandez, was sentenced for soliciting or obtaining cash bribes totaling approximately $30,000 from contractors, developers and homeowners since at least 2005.