D.C. trial on bribery charges starts for licensing employee

A D.C. employee forced businesses to pay her cash to have their licenses renewed, U.S. Attorney Lionel Andre said Tuesday in his opening statement in the bribery and extortion case against her.

Ikela Dean, 32, an employee in the Business Licensing Division of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, is being charged with 10 counts of bribery and four counts of extortion for payments she received from several hotels and nonprofit organizations from July to September 2007.