Inspector convicted in payoff case sentenced
A city of Chicago inspector convicted of taking a bribe to give a passing grade to apartment house plumbing has been sentenced to prison.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow on Friday sentenced 42-year-old Mario Olivella to 42 months in prison after prosecutors described him as a "major league bribe-taker."
The case is part of Operation Crooked Code — a large-scale federal investigation of corruption involving city inspectors.
Olivella was convicted of taking a $7,000 bribe to overlook plumbing code violations at a condo development on Chicago's North Side.
Jurors in January acquitted developer Lavinia Curescu of any wrongdoing and couldn't agree on a verdict as to her husband, Dumitru Curescu.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.