Businessman arrested again on bribery charge

Published 11:19 pm Saturday, October 16, 2010

A Biloxi businessman accused of bribing a city code-enforcement officer has been arrested on another bribery charge and an embezzlement complaint.

Police arrested Trong Dinh “Tony” Do on Friday on allegations of trying to bribe a second officer, investigator Carl Short said. Short said the officer did not accept the bribe.

Do, 55, of Biloxi, had been free on $25,000 bond since his Oct. 6 arrest on the first bribery charge. In that case a code-enforcement officer, Joseph William Richard, also was arrested and accused of approving substandard construction projects.

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Police have said Do, who owns several businesses, has several projects under construction.

The embezzlement charge alleges that Do stole a stove he had stored for a woman who had been a business associate. The stove was among equipment the state had provided to replace Hurricane Katrina-damaged appliances for a day-care center, Short said.

Authorities say Do had agreed to store the equipment but later told the woman the stove was broken, and he tried to give her a dilapidated one.

A judge ordered Do held on $75,000 bond on the latest charges. It could not be determined Saturday if he had an attorney.