Lemont Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Bribery Charges

LEMONT, IL — A Lemont man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of bribery after he was accused of doing free home improvement for an employee of the Cook County Assessor's Office in exchange for reduced commercial property taxes.

Alex Nitchoff, 56, who runs the Summit-based OAKK Construction, faces up to 1o years in prison for one count of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery and one count of conspiring to corruptly give something of value to influence and reward a public official.

Between 2016 and 2019, Nitchoff and others provided free home improvement services, supplies, meals, jewelry and "other items of value" to bribe Lavdim Memisovski, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In exchange, Memisovski, lowered property assessment values and extended property tax deadlines for Nitchoff and others, per the U.S. Attorney's Office.

It's estimated that Nitchoff's property taxes were lowered by as much as $550,000.

Memisovski, 45, pleaded guilty in 2023 to federal conspiracy charges.

Also charged in the federal investigation is , John Bodendorfer, 56, an employee of Nitchoff's. Bodendorfer pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in a bribery scheme.

Nitchoff is set to be sentenced May 8.