A former supervisor of inspectors in the city`s Consumer Services Department, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion, testified Wednesday that he split bribes ranging from $40 to $100 with other inspectors to overlook health and sanitation violations in food stores and restaurants. Charles Watson, 62, who retired in 1985 after 38 years as a city inspector, testified that he split bribes from business owners with various inspectors, including Ernest Bolton, who is on trial in U.S. District Court. Bolton, 51, of 11360 S. Racine Ave., is charged with racketeering and extortion for allegedly receiving or sharing 13 cash bribes from business owners in 1984 and 1985. The bribes ranged from $20 to $100, according to Daniel DuPre and Stephen Crocker, assistant U.S. attorneys prosecuting the case. Watson and Bolton were among 18 current or former city inspectors indicted last August on charges of shaking down businesses for payoffs ranging from $10 to $2,500 to fix ordinance violations, obtain liquor licenses and zoning changes and to receive licenses to sell food.
