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“San Francisco Building Inspector Facing Criminal Charges After Inspecting His Own Home!”
“What Really Happened To The SF Building Inspector Who Inspected His Own Home?”
“The Unfortunate Outcome of The Building Inspector Who Violated San Fran Ethical Laws!”

Rewritten Article:

San Francisco ex-building inspector, Van Zeng, is now on the receiving end of criminal charges for an alleged conflict of interest violation, proclaimed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Tuesday. Zeng’s hearing occurred on the same day, where he pleaded not guilty. Previously employed by the Department of Building Inspection, this debacle came to light after The Standard revealed he had inspected his own home.

A Deeper Look Into The Incident

The Standard’s investigation uncovered that Zeng inspected his own home in March 2020, a month after joining DBI, while also carrying out multiple questionable inspections on properties connected to his family. After the expose, the inspector was placed on administrative leave, fired, and charged due to breaking a local law that prohibits city employees from participating in decisions with a financial benefit.

Previous News on the Case

In November, the media reported Zeng performed a “rough frames, partial” inspection on his own home, which was in the midst of a remodel. At the time, the inspector issued a notice to the contractor to temporarily stop the work. Furthermore, he was accused of conducting inspections on two permits requested by his father, who has a background in San Fran contracting.

The Fallout From The Incident

The District Attorney’s Office indicated that Van Zeng could face up to a year in jail if convicted for the infractions related to his home and his father’s projects–the two 65-year-old faces misdemeanor charges for. On December 8th, the DBI announced they had dismissed the ex-inspector. Patrick Hannan, a spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection, mentioned the agency has “zero tolerance for ethical lapses and believes those who fail to uphold their civic responsibilities should be held accountable.”

Van Zeng’s attorney, Randall Knox, maintained the ex-inspector was assigned the inspections of his own home and father’s projects at random. Additionally, Knox mentioned his client had consulted with his supervisor–a senior building inspector–about his home inspection. Zeng’s next court date is set for February 23.