09232011 - News Article - Former Lake County Clerk Tom Philpot indicted in federal court

Former Lake County Clerk Tom Philpot indicted in federal court

Chesterton Tribune
Posted 9/23/2011

http://chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/923115%20former_lake_county_clerk_tom_phi.htm

Lake County Coroner Thomas Philpot—formerly Lake County Clerk—has been charged in a five-count indictment alleging mail fraud and theft from a federally funded program while serving as an elected official, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana David Capp announced on Thursday.

While serving as County Clerk, Philpot devised a “scheme” to make “incentive payments to himself to which he was not legally entitled,” according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“As part of the duties of the Clerk’s Office, Philpot was required to collect money under the State of Indiana Title IV-D Child Support program,” the statement said. “One component of this program allowed for the payment of incentives to Clerk’s Office employees if certain goals were met in the collection of child support payments. An elected official, however, could not take any incentive payment unless it was authorized by the county fiscal body, the Lake County Council. The Lake County Council never authorized Philpot to take payments himself.”

From approximately December 2004 through October 2009, Philpot as Lake County Clerk obtained Title IV-D incentive payments for himself totaling $24,700, the statement said.

The specific indictment:

•Counts I-III allege mail fraud for causing reimbursement claim forms to those expenditures to be placed in the U.S. mail in January 2007, April 2009, and November 2009.

•Counts IV-V allege that Philpot “did intentionally steal, obtain by fraud, and otherwise without authority convert to his own use, property worth at least $5,000 owned by, and under the care, custody, and control of Lake County, Ind.”

“The FBI will continue to dedicate the necessary resources to relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those public officials who betray the trust and confidence of the American public by exploiting their official position for personal gain by engaging in fraud,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Danny Barkley said. “The American public continue to be outraged by public officials enriching themselves at public expense. Corrupt officials should know that the FBI and its partner agencies will continue to pursue them.”

The case was investigated by the FBI.