They say 58-year-old Dominic Verdi was charged Tuesday with conspiracy, extortion, and fraud in connection with his alleged use of his position to funnel money to a beer distributor he owned called Chappy's Beer, Butts, and Bets, located on South 17th Street.
Verdi is accused of offering protection to businesses that bought from Chappy's, which allegedly included giving warnings about surprise inspections, reopening businesses that were not up to code, and using his position to get licenses to businesses that didn't have the right paperwork.
Prosecutors also say he lied about owning Chappy's.
If convicted Verdi faces a maximum possible sentence of 140 years in prison, three years supervised release, a maximum fine of $1.75 million, and a $700 special assessment.
