Bribes allegedly paid for DeKalb business permits
A former DeKalb government employee has been charged with taking $2,000 in bribes in exchange for speeding up the county’s permitting process for a business.
Nino Pender, 50, turned himself in Monday after DeKalb police conducted an undercover investigation, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Pender, a building and fire plans examiner, allegedly accepted the money to help a Motel 6 on Chamblee Tucker Road get renovations approved by the county. Police said the hotel cooperated with their investigation.
Investigators told Channel 2 that Pender didn’t compromise safety, but he gave preferential treatment to the Motel 6.
“This kind of conduct is not tolerated, and we will be cooperating with law enforcement and prosecutors as this case progresses,” said DeKalb spokesman Burke Brennan.
Pender, who earned $64,871 in his job, quit earlier this month after he was already under investigation. He had worked for the county for four years.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
