CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The owner of a Chicago-area fence and installation company, as well as two employees of the Cook County Assessor’s Office have been charged in a bribery scheme.
Federal prosecutors accused Robert Mitziga, the 65-year-old owner Fence Masters Inc. of conspiring with another company to provide golf outings, food and drinks in exchange for reduced property value assessments on properties that they owned.
In addition to allegedly bribing the Cook County officials — Lumni Likovski and Lavdim Memisovski — authorities claimed Mitziga also bribed the owner of the other company between February and November of 2017.
In March 2023, bribery charges were announced against Memisovski for a separate property tax scheme. In that case, Memisovski was accused of lowering assessed property values and extending tax appeal deadlines for a Chicagoland contractor between 2016 – 2019.
In that case, federal prosecutors said Memisovski took bribes in the form of home improvement materials, home improvement services, contracts for electrical work, jewelry, meals, sporting events tickets and more.
The charges related to Fence Masters Inc. carry a possible sentence range of 5 – 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
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