Lemont Man Sentenced To Five Years In Prison In Federal Bribery Case

LEMONT, IL — A Lemont man, and owner of a construction company, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, for conspiring to bribe an employee of the Cook County Assessor’s Office in return for favorable property assessments, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

Alex Nitchoff, 57, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of conspiring to corruptly give something of value to influence and reward a public official, and one count of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery.

U.S. District Judge John F. Kness imposed the sentence Wednesday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Nitchoff admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2019 he conspired with others to corruptly provide home improvement services and materials to Cook County Assessor’s Office employee, Lavdim Memisovski, who assessed property values and reviewed property tax appeals for Cook County commercial properties.

Nitchoff and others provided free home improvement services and materials at Memisovski’s personal residence, including a concrete pad, decking materials, gas lines, sprinkler system heads, tiles, and other items, the plea agreement states.

In return for the benefits, Memisovski took official action to reduce the property taxes owed for Nitchoff’s properties by at least $550,000, Nitchoff’s plea agreement states.

Memisovski, of Burbank, pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing.