Assessor’s office employee pleads not guilty to federal fraud charges alleging he took sports tickets and home improvements to change assessments

An worker of the Cook County assessor’s business pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal demand alleging he conspired to settle for presents in trade for reductions in assessments for professional houses.

Lavdim Memisovski, 43, was charged in a criminal facts submitted in U.S. District Court past 7 days with accepting “home improvement materials, household improvement providers, jewelry, foods, sporting celebration tickets” and other things in exchange for the reductions.

Memisovski entered his plea in a telephone arraignment just before U.S. Justice of the peace Decide Sheila Finnegan.

Defendants billed by way of information, fairly than by grand jury indictment, ordinarily intend to plead guilty. Memisovski’s legal professional, Chris Gair, declined to remark on the circumstance.

According to the demand, Memisovski allegedly conspired with two unnamed men and women among 2016 and July 2018 to take the rewards for altering his work.

In one particular occasion, according to prosecutors, Memisovski experienced sprinklers installed in his dwelling as component of the plan. Prosecutors reported they ended up looking for the forfeiture of at least $20,000 from Memisovski.

At the time of the alleged fraud, the assessor’s business office was led by Joseph Berrios, the then-manager of the Cook County Democratic Occasion. Berrios dropped his bid for a third term as assessor in the 2018 Democratic main to Fritz Kaegi, who promised to reform the place of work that has long been seen as a den of clout and patronage.

Soon after the expenses against Memisovski were declared past week, a spokesman for Kaegi reported the business office now has a rigorous ethics code for all employees “which forbids the use of the assessor’s business for personalized obtain.”

“The management of the assessor’s place of work has upheld and carries on to uphold the maximum ethical requirements for all workforce,” the spokesman stated in an emailed assertion. “Though this man or woman remained an worker of the business office, the functions pointed out in the charging doc transpired for the duration of the prior administration and do not reference any action throughout this administration. The assessor was not mindful these charges ended up being considered.”

Memisovski joined the assessor’s business in 2005 and was earning about $127,000 a calendar year, in accordance to public documents. He is no cost on a recognizance bond.

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