By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority employee in charge of contractors is accused of taking bribes from companies in exchange for giving them more work.

A Hamilton County grand jury indicted William Larkin, 50, of Kennedy Heights, Wednesday on charges of bribery, theft in office and acting outside the restrictions of a public employee.

Larkin's job at the agency was to oversee contractors.

Prosecutors say Larkin threw more work to contractors willing to pay him.

Larkin is also accused of taking three cabinets belonging to the agency and installing them in a house he was selling. And, he told a contractor to bid on a job in which Larkin would be paid to act as a consultant, according to prosecutors. The company did not get that job.

The dollar amount of the bribes and theft was not available Wednesday night, but prosecutors said it was not a lot of money.

CMHA first discovered the alleged misconduct and brought the case to prosecutors' attention, said Chip Gerhardt, chairman of CMHA's board.

"We determined it warranted more investigation and turned it over to the (Hamilton County) Prosecutor's Office," Gerhardt said. "As an organization we take self-policing very seriously.

Larkin has been fired, Gerhardt said. The board chairman declined to comment about the time frame of events.

Larkin faces up to 41/2 years in prison if convicted.

CMHA provides affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families and services more than 13,800 residents in neighborhoods throughout Hamilton County, according to the agency's Web site. In addition, the agency's Housing Choice Voucher Program provides affordable housing options for 7,100 families, the site said. Most are elderly and working families.

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com