San Francisco District Attorney declines to file attempted robbery charges against Mohammed Nuru
FILE - In this Feb. 6, 2020, file photo, Mohammed Nuru, the former director of San Francisco Public Works, center, gestures as he leaves a federal courthouse with attorney Ismail Ramsey, right, in San Francisco. A businessman charged in a public corr
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco District Attorney's Office on Thursday declined to file attempted robbery charges against former public works head Mohammed Nuru after his arrest Wednesday.
Nuru was booked on suspicion of attempted robbery Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly used a kitchen knife to try and rob a victim of potato chips at a food bank where he had been volunteering.
A source close to the case told KTVU he appeared to have made a joke about taking the chips, and a witness corroborated that it was a joke. Evidence didn't show Nuru actually intended or tried to take the chips, the source said.
The former city official was indicted in January 2020 on federal bribery and corruption charges after he attempted to bribe an airport commissioner.
Nuru resigned his post following the FBI indictment. Prosecutors allege he took thousands of dollars in gifts and cash from contractors.
Nuru's federal case is still in the courts.
In February, a recycling plant owner was sentenced to federal prison after stating in a plea agreement that he plied Nuru with gifts that included a $36,500 gold Rolex watch.
About a dozen people have been charged with corruption in a sweeping City Hall probe. Multiple city department heads have been forced to resign.