$50,000 bail for owner of building where 2 Chicago firefighters died
By RUMMANA HUSSAIN Staff Reporter rhussain@suntimes.com January 5, 2012 1:30PM
Chuck Dai leaves Criminal Courts Thursday afternoon.Dai, the owner of an abandoned South Side commercial laundry building where two Chicago firefighters died in a December 2010 fire and roof collapse was ordered jailed Thursday on $50,000 bail for allegedly ignoring a court order to secure the building and repair the roof that collapsed during the fatal fire.['
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Updated: February 7, 2012 8:21AM
The owner of an abandoned South Side commercial laundry building where two Chicago firefighters died in a December 2010 fire and roof collapse was given a $50,000 bail Thursday for allegedly ignoring a court order to secure the building and repair its roof.
That happened at Chuck Dai’s first court appearance since being charged with criminal contempt exactly a year after the Dec. 22, 2010, blaze that killed firefighters Corey Ankum, 34, and Edward Stringer, 47.
Dai, 62, of South Holland, is accused of failing to correct 14 building code violations dating to 2007.
Dai’s lawyer, Eugene Murphy, said they will fight the charge.
“There is no evidence there was a willful disregard of the court’s order,” Murphy said.
Several witnesses living near the old laundry building in the 1700 block of East 75th said it remained insecure and in ill repair prior to the fire, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Mary Lacy told Cook County Judge James Obbish.
Murphy said Dai agreed to make the changes in 2009 and that neither the city nor any other agency produced a follow-up report showing what, if any, actions Dai took.
Murphy also said the city razed the remaining debris from the structure — destroying any potential evidence that remained following the fire.
Dai, a native of China, left the courthouse Thursday without comment after posting the $5,000 bond.
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