CHINO -- The superintendent of a home construction project has been charged with a felony for allegedly bribing a building inspector for the city of Chino Hills.
Nelson Chu, 61, of Rowland Heights is accused of giving the inspector eight bribes over a 14-month period during construction of a home in the 1100 block of Village Drive.
Most of Chu's alleged bribes were cash, totaling $5,000. He also allegedly gave the inspector a lighter and a bottle of Rémy Martin cognac, according to a police report contained in Chu's court file.
After Chu gave the first alleged bribe in November 2009, the inspector, Andrew Zummo, alerted his supervisors and reported the bribery to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Zummo alerted detectives immediately when the other alleged bribes occurred, according to the report.
And in at least one instance, detectives monitored and recorded conversations between Chu and Zummo in which Chu mentioned his "gifts" to the inspector.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office charged Chu on April 27 with one count of bribery.
He is scheduled to appear June 1 in Chino Superior Court to be arraigned on the charge.
Chu did not return a call seeking comment today from a reporter.
On Nov. 17, 2009, Zummo went to the construction site in the southwest area of Chino Hills and met with Chu, who gave him a package containing structural observation reports, according to the report in Chu's court file.
About two weeks later Zummo opened the package and found 10 $100 bills hidden within the report.
Two days later, in a phone conversation monitored by detectives, Chu told Zummo he would receive another gift for Christmas, according to the report.
On Dec. 13, 2009, Zummo visited Chu at the construction site. When he left he found a red bag in the bed of his truck that contained a bottle of Rémy Martin cognac.
Two days later he received another $1,000 hidden in reports related to the project.
After again visiting the site on Feb. 11, 2010, Zummo found a gray box in the bed of his truck that contained a lighter and $500.
In two separate instances in June 2010, Zummo found $500 hidden in the pages of reports given to him by Chu.
On July 13, 2010, Zummo visited the site to inspect drywall. Chu accompanied him back to his truck after the inspection, according to the report.
"While Zummo was seated in his truck he could see Chu had something crumpled up in his right hand," the report said. "When Zummo left the job site he found $500 that had been dropped inside the door of his truck by Chu."
Chu gave Zummo another $1,000 hidden among construction paperwork on Dec. 16, 2010, according to the report.