Afternoon Briefing: Developer in assessor’s office bribery scheme sentenced

Good afternoon, Chicago.

The owner of a Chicago-area construction company with ties to the investigation of former Ald. Carrie Austin has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for bribing an employee of the Cook County assessor’s office to reduce taxes on his properties by about a million dollars.

Alex Nitchoff, 57, of Lemont, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count each of conspiracy to bribe a public official and using a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate the acts of bribery.

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