On January 27th, 2015, former Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) tax and license compliance supervisor Abd Ayesh pleaded guilty to official misconduct and theft of cigarette cartons confiscated by BACP. The Circuit Court of Cook County sentenced Ayesh to two years of probation to include the completion of the Treatment Alternative for Safe Communities’ Treatment Program.
Yesterday’s disposition successfully concluded a joint investigation by the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Cook County State’s Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation which established that, in April of 2010, Ayesh abused his position of employment with the City to steal and sell more than $2,000 worth of unstamped cartons of cigarettes confiscated by city inspectors. A second former City employee who engaged in the criminal scheme with Ayesh cooperated with the investigation.
Ayesh’s criminal conduct was a prompt for an OIG audit which, as reported in 2014, found that BACP’s current property confiscation and storage practices effectively safeguarded and accurately managed its physical inventory per industry standards.