CLEVELAND - A former Cleveland fire inspector has been charged with extorting $2,000 in bribes from a city business.

The bribery charge was filed Monday against 56-year-old Terrance Chambers of Aurora. He retired within the past few weeks.

The government says Chambers extorted the bribes in 2007 and 2008 from a Cleveland business which was cooperating with the FBI.

The charge was filed as a criminal information, which usually indicates the defendant is cooperating with authorities.

Chambers could not be reached for comment. An Aurora phone listing under his name is unpublished.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.