Code Inspector Charged With Official Misconduct
ELMWOOD PARK, Ill. (STMW) -- An Elmwood Park code inspector was arrested by Cook County Sheriff's police for allegedly filing a false inspection report on a rental property he owns.
Pasquale Martorana, 42, of River Grove, was taken into custody at Elmwood Park Village Hall June 9 by sheriff's police and charged with official misconduct, a felony.
According to the complaint filed by the village, Martorana allegedly abused his position as a code enforcement inspector on April 4, when he created a false Property Maintenance Inspection report on a property at the 7700 block of Elmgrove Drive. Martorana owns that property, the complaint said.
The report was filed without the knowledge of officials in village's code department, the complaint said.
Martorana is currently on administrative leave. His attorney, John Carrozza, did not comment about the specifics of the case, but said he is ready to go to court.
"We are going to definitely be defending the case to the best of our ability," Carrozza said.
Elmwood Park Village Manager John "Jay" Dalicandro said the arrest was the result of an administrative investigation of the village's code department, which uncovered other activities that allegedly involved Martorana.
"As a result of the investigation we discovered some criminal wrongdoing," Dalicandro said.
He would not say what the administrative investigation involved, but what was discovered warranted police involvement, Dalicandro said.
The administrative investigation is still ongoing.
Instead of using village's police department, Dalicandro said he requested the Cook County Sheriff's Department make the arrest because of the investigation and because Martorana is a village employee.
Martorana was in court June 16 and the case has been continued to July 1.
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