The New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits has suspended two employees working in the office. The city says the two were placed on "immediate emergency suspension" on Monday.
The action comes as a federal probe into wide spread corruption at the office of Safety and Permits surfaced. One person, former building inspector Kevin Richardson, has already been indicted by federal prosecutors for alleged crimes stretching back to 2011. Read the indictment: Click Here.
According to the indictment Richardson is accused of accepting payments from "individuals seeking favorable inspection reports and certificates of completion."
The Times-Picayune/Advocate says Richardson's defense attorney indicated his client intends to plead guilty to the count. It is not known if he will cooperate with authorities to root out any additional corruption in the Department.
The names of the employees placed on emergency suspension have not been released.
