Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
05122009 - News Article - Crime fighter speaks - ROBERT CANTRELL
Crime fighter speaks
Post-Tribune (IN)
May 12, 2009
GARY -- The little stories are the ones that make interim U.S. Attorney David Capp keep fighting the good fight.
Capp, the guest speaker for the Gary Chamber of Commerce's monthly luncheon Monday afternoon, recalled when he'd moved his office to the city while working with G.R.I.T., his office's partnership with the FBI that focused on drug and gang activity. After a presentation he'd given, a man walked up to him and told him because their efforts shut down a neighborhood crack house, his children could play in the yard again.
"That man highlights an important dimension in the fight against drugs and violent crime," Capp said. "Some days, (the amount of work his office has) looks frustrating, but when there's more yard for grandkids to play in, we're moving in the right direction."
For business climates to flourish, cities must have uncorrupt government, and citing the recent conviction of political operative Robert Cantrell, Capp said his office doesn't plan on relenting the investigation of public corruption, on which he's been working since joining the office in 1985. He also lauded the U.S. Attorney's Civil Division, which gives the money it wins back to taxpayers.
"We're in a unique situation: It costs us $7 million to run our office, but we've collected $20 million and given it back," he said." We collect a lot of money.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
05092009 - News Article - Political fixer Cantrell heading to Kentucky prison - ROBERT CANTRELL
Political fixer Cantrell heading to Kentucky prison
NWI Times
May 09, 2009
nwitimes.com/news/local/political-fixer-cantrell-heading-to-kentucky-prison/article_637fbcb0-faf3-574f-9d42-4aa1af5edc11.html
HAMMOND | Convicted Lake County politico Robert Cantrell has until Wednesday to surrender to a Kentucky prison -- not the Wisconsin facility he wanted -- and a federal judge showed no sympathy Friday for Cantrell's request for two more weeks to prepare for the sentence.
Cantrell, 67, of Schererville, has until 2 p.m. Wednesday to report to the low-security prison near Ashland, Ky., to serve 6 1/2 years for his federal fraud convictions. The prison sits at Kentucky's tri-state border with West Virginia and Ohio, about 200 miles farther from Northwest Indiana than Cantrell's preferred prison in Oxford, Wis.
Defense attorney Kevin Milner filed a motion Thursday in Hammond federal court asking Senior Judge Rudy Lozano to give Cantrell as much as 14 more days to report. Cantrell wanted more time to "clean up his affairs" because his family will have more trouble visiting him, Milner wrote.
Lozano denied that request Friday afternoon. Lozano's ruling gave no explanation of his decision.
Milner drew stifled guffaws from the gallery at Cantrell's sentencing March 31 in Hammond federal court when he requested Oxford because Cantrell has "casual acquaintances" at the prison camp, a popular destination for local public servants serving corruption convictions. Lozano did not agree to recommend Oxford, but he said he would recommend that Cantrell go to a prison near Chicago.
Milner wrote in his motion that Cantrell's family had hoped to car-pool to Oxford with the family of another convict.
"That option will not be available now," Milner wrote.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Orest Szewciw had filed a memorandum asking Lozano to reject Milner's request for two more weeks before beginning the prison sentence.
"The 11 months since the guilty verdict and the 43 days given by the court at sentencing to self-report have been more than ample for the defendant to get his (unspecified) personal affairs in order," Szewciw wrote.
Bureau of Prisons officials consider judges' recommendations along with other factors, said Felicia Ponce, BOP spokeswoman. Bureau officials try to put prisoners close to home, she said.
Cantrell was convicted June 6 of four counts of depriving the public of honest services, three counts of insurance fraud using the U.S. mail and four counts of filing false tax returns between 2000 and 2003. The indictment accused him of taking cash kickbacks from a contract between his then-employer, the North Township trustee's office, and a political ally's company.
Milner has appealed the verdict.
Friday, May 8, 2009
05082009 - News Article - Cantrell to do prison time in Kentucky - ROBERT CANTRELL
Cantrell to do prison time in Kentucky
NWI Times
May 8, 2009
nwitimes.com/news/local/cantrell-to-do-prison-time-in-kentucky/article_46497198-0ca1-5e2d-885b-1657be7d4b3a.html
HAMMOND | Lake County politico Robert Cantrell has until Wednesday to surrender to a Kentucky prison -- not the Wisconsin prison he wanted -- and a federal judge showed no sympathy for Cantrell's request for two more weeks to prepare for jail.
Cantrell, 67, of Schererville, has until 2 p.m. Wednesday to report to the low-security prison near Ashland, Ky. to serve 6 1/2 years for his federal fraud convictions. The prison sits at Kentucky's tri-state border with West Virginia and Ohio, about 200 miles further from Northwest Indiana than Cantrell's preferred prison in Oxford, Wis.
Defense lawyer Kevin Milner filed a motion Thursday in Hammond federal court asking Senior Judge Rudy Lozano to give Cantrell as much as 14 more days to report. Cantrell wanted more time to "clean up his affairs" because his family will have more trouble visiting him, Milner wrote.
Lozano denied that request Friday afternoon. Lozano's ruling gave no explanation of his decision.
Milner drew stifled guffaws from the gallery at Cantrell's sentencing March 31 in Hammond federal court when he requested Oxford because Cantrell has "casual acquaintances" at the prison camp, a popular destination for local public servants serving corruption convictions. Lozano did not agree to recommend Oxford, but he said he would recommend that Cantrell go to a prison near Chicago.
Milner wrote in his motion that Cantrell's family had hoped to carpool to Oxford with the family of another convict.
"That option will not be available now," Milner wrote.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Orest Szewciw filed a memorandum asking Lozano to reject Milner's request.
"The 11 months since the guilty verdict and the 43 days given by the court at sentencing to self-report have been more than ample for the defendant to get his (unspecified) personal affairs in order," Szewciw wrote.
Bureau of Prisons officials consider judges' recommendations along with other factors, said Felicia Ponce, BOP spokeswoman. Bureau officials try to put prisoners close to home, she said.
Cantrell was convicted June 6 of four counts of depriving the public of honest services, three counts of insurance fraud using the U.S. mail and four counts of filing false tax returns between 2000 and 2003. The indictment accused him of taking cash kickbacks from a contract between his then-employer, the North Township trustee's office, and a political ally's company.
Milner has appealed the verdict.
Monday, May 4, 2009
09242007-08192010 - Court Hearing Transcripts - Divorce Case - CAUSE NO: 64D01-0708-DR-7804/Porter County Superior Court, Valparaiso IN
09242007 - Court Hearing Transcripts - Divorce Case - CAUSE NO: 64D01-0708-DR-7804/Porter County Superior Court, Valparaiso IN - Attorney's misled me to believe I would receive settlement in October 2007
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Default hearing for immediate distribution of properrty settlement.
At this hearing, I requested that the court order my ex to pay me my property settlement in full before he was allowed to take possession of the house. Magistrate Johnson ignored this request. This would have put a halt to the October 7th unlawful police entry into my home.
"...If, you know, the court require that before he takes possession of the house, he buys out my interest..."
EXHIBIT NUMBER 1
[ EMAIL FROM ATTORNEY JEFFREY SHAW TO ATTORNEY JOHN RHAME]
"Mr. Thomas is a very violent man. He's a very controlling man..."
This is a default hearing, thus the court should have honored this request in an order that my ex could not take possession of the marital home until after he paid me my property settlement. This puts more question on the unlawful police entry into my home on October 7th.
"Your Honor...It's not going to be safe for me around here..."
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