Former Pittsburgh building inspector accused of taking bribes from Downtown developer

A former Pittsburgh building inspector faces a felony bribery charge after police said he solicited at least $5,000 in connection with a development project in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Walter Eiseman was charged Nov. 28 in Western Pennsylvania’s U.S. District Court with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, court records show.

Eiseman, a city of Pittsburgh building inspector at the time, solicited and accepted at least $5,000 worth of personal benefits in the form of items for his home from an unnamed developer from December 2018 to March 2019, according to filings.

The developer was involved in a project to convert a commercial building in Downtown into luxury apartments and hotel rooms, and the project received federal benefits in excess of $10,000 during the same time period that Eiseman was allegedly soliciting bribes.

Eiseman is no longer employed by the city of Pittsburgh, said Maria Montaño, spokeswoman for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. Montaño said the city had no further comment.

Eiseman is listed as an assistant director of quality control and inspections with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, an agency that acts as an economic development arm for the city of Pittsburgh. He joined that position in March 2020.

URA spokeswoman Tanika Harris said the agency does not comment on personnel matters.

The URA has had a strong focus on driving Downtown development and, particularly since the pandemic, working to address the neighborhood’s lagging office vacancy rates. The criminal charge against Eiseman stem from alleged activity that happened before the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

A plea hearing for Eiseman’s case is scheduled for Jan. 18. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.