Cook County Tax Scam: Golf, Grub & Graft

A scheme to rig Cook County property tax assessments has landed three men in federal trouble. Robert Mitziga, the owner of Fence Masters, Inc., along with Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) employees Basilis Clausen and Lumni Likovski, are facing charges for a bribery operation that stretched from February to November 2017. The feds allege Mitziga funneled perks to CCAO insiders to shave down the tax bills for his company and another, unnamed entity – referred to as Company A.

The scam wasn’t about cash, it was about access and influence. Mitziga and an executive from Company A allegedly plied CCAO employees with golf outings, free food, and drinks. The payoff wasn’t just about good times; it was a calculated effort to bypass the normal appeals process. CCAO insiders Clausen and Likovski allegedly directed appeals from Fence Masters and Company A directly to Lavdim Memisovski, a director within the assessor’s office, who then illegally lowered the assessed values of their properties.

The CCAO is the agency responsible for determining property values for tax purposes in Cook County. Essentially, they decide how much you owe. Memisovski, in his position, had the power to manipulate those values. The indictment claims he abused that power, accepting bribes to give preferred treatment to Mitziga and Company A. This isn’t just a matter of a few dollars; it’s a systematic undermining of the fairness of the property tax system and a betrayal of public trust.

Fence Masters, Inc., a Chicago-area fence installation business, stands at the center of the alleged scheme. The feds are alleging Mitziga used the company as a vehicle to facilitate the bribery. Company A, whose identity remains undisclosed, also benefited from the lowered assessments. This points to a potentially wider network of corruption within the CCAO, and investigators aren’t ruling out further charges.

This isn’t an isolated incident. In July 2022, Lavdim Memisovski was already facing separate charges for his role in the bribery scheme and has since pled guilty. The current indictment expands the scope of the case, bringing in Mitziga and Clausen. If convicted, all three men face between 5 and 10 years in federal prison. This case echoes other recent public corruption busts in Illinois, including fraud at the Department of Children and Family Services and bribery involving a former state lawmaker.

Federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois are handling the case. Those with information related to this or other instances of corruption within the Cook County Assessor’s Office are urged to contact the Chicago office at (312) 353-5300 or the Rockford office at (815) 965-2444. The feds are sending a clear message: rigging the system for personal gain will be met with serious consequences. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments.