Ex-Pittsburgh Inspector Sentenced for Taking Bribes from Developer

Walter Eiseman, a former building inspector for the City of Pittsburgh, has been sentenced to 18 months of probation, including 90 days of home confinement, after pleading guilty to federal bribery charges. Eiseman, 59, admitted to soliciting over $5,400 in goods from a developer in exchange for expediting a permit needed for the developer’s downtown luxury apartment and hotel project.

According to the Department of Justice, Eiseman accepted the appliances at his Dormont home from December 2018 through March 2019. Though the developer involved has not been named, the project received federal benefits exceeding $10,000 during the time Eiseman accepted the bribes. The temporary certificate of occupancy, required by the developer to qualify for a historical tax credit, was issued after Eiseman performed inspections on two floors of the project.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel, who prosecuted the case, clarified that Eiseman did not approve any development with safety issues or violations but merely expedited the permit process for personal gain. In addition to probation and home confinement, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak ordered Eiseman to forfeit $1,375 and pay a $1,500 fine.

The FBI led the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted the case, culminating in Eiseman’s sentencing.

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