Former Harvey Building Inspector Found Guilty On Bribery Charges

HARVEY, IL —A former building inspector who worked for The City of Harvey has been found guilty of using a cell phone to facilitate bribery, a federal jury ruled on Tuesday in Chicago.

Ohio resident Lester Crowder, 73, was found guilty by the jury after evidence showed that the former city employee met nine times with an individual who said he was interested in opening a nightclub in Harvey in 2018.

Prosecutors said in those nine meetings, which took place between February and April of 2018, Crowder told the prospective business owner he would need to pay up to $50,000 in bribes to obtain the property and the necessary permits, the U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois announced on Tuesday.

The jury heard evidence that Crowder collected nearly $13,000 in bribe payments from the individual, who was cooperating with the FBI and recording their conversations, prosecutors said during the trial. During the same time, Crowder was captured on court-authorized recordings communicating with another individual confirming their intent to take bribes.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled before Judge Martha Pacold, but each count could carry a sentence of up to five years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Crowder was previously charged with attempted murder, the Chicago Tribune reported, after prosecutors said he sliced his girlfriend’s fingers off with a steak knife.