05312014 - News Article - Federal trials for Lake Station mayor pushed back to October

Federal trials for Lake Station mayor pushed back to October 

Post-Tribune (IN) 

May 31, 2014 

Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist ’s two criminal trials will be delayed until Oct. 20. 

U.S. District Court in Hammond granted Soderquist ’s request to move the trials from their original date of July 14. 

Scott King, who is representing Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist , and Thomas Vanes, who is representing Soderquist ’s stepdaughter, Miranda Brakley, both requested the continuance Thursday. According to their motions, the large amount of evidence given to them from the government and their own busy schedules meant they would not be ready to go to trial by July. 

Soderquist and his wife were charged in April in two separate cases. In one, the federal government has accused them of using city money meant for the Lake Station Food Pantry and money from his own political campaign for their personal use, including gambling. 

The second case charges Brakley with stealing from the city of Lake Station, where she used to work as a clerk for the town court. Soderquist and his wife are charged in that case with being an accessory after the fact and with money structuring. 

05302014 - News Article - Soderquist, Brakley trial reset for October

Soderquist, Brakley trial reset for October

NWI Times

May 30, 2014 - 2:30 pm 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/soderquist-brakley-trial-reset-for-october/article_007f1441-6ea4-5540-a680-5f23001d303f.html

HAMMOND | The public corruption trial for Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist, his wife and stepdaughter has been rescheduled to Oct. 20, federal court records filed Friday state.

Soderquist, his wife Deborah Soderquist and stepdaughter Miranda Brakley had been scheduled to be tried July 14 in U.S. District Court, Hammond, on charges alleging 15 total counts spanning two public corruption indictments.

The Soderquist couple's defense attorney, Scott King, sought the trial continuance based in part on "voluminous" evidence from the government that is still coming in to his office requiring review.

King has claimed federal prosecutors "got it wrong" in charging Keith Soderquist, 44, and Deborah Soderquist, 55, with charges alleging they stole city food pantry and campaign funds, gambled away some of the proceeds and failed to report the allegedly stolen cash as income on tax returns.

Prosecutors also allege the couple knew the mayor's stepdaughter, Brakley, stole at least $5,000 from the Lake Station City Court and helped Brakley conceal the theft.

05222014 - News Article - Soderquist returns to council meeting

Soderquist returns to council meeting
NWI Times
May 22, 2014 - 9:40 pm
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-station/soderquist-returns-to-council-meeting/article_b76a92e6-7555-5112-9c82-5dabbb7ecf18.html

LAKE STATION | For the first time since pleading not guilty to multiple corruption charges in April, Mayor Keith Soderquist returned to chair the City Council meeting Thursday.

When asked after the meeting by a Times reporter, the mayor had no comment about the charges against him, his wife, Deborah, and stepdaughter Miranda Brakley. The trio pleaded not guilty to a total of 15 criminal charges in Hammond federal court.

Soderquist and the mayor's wife are alleged to have stolen food pantry and campaign funds, and gambled away some of the proceeds while reporting the allegedly stolen cash as income on their tax returns.

Councilman Rick Long, at the end of the meeting, told a Times reporter the mayor will have his day in court and will have to regain the public’s trust.

Only about 10 residents appeared at the meeting, which was not open to general comments, only what was on the agenda. The next meeting open for general comments from the public is June 5.

In other news, Councilman Harry Pedroza expressed interest in creating an ordinance banning saggy pants. Cities and towns across the country have recently been passing ordinances banning overly sagging pants.

05192014 - News Article - Lake Station tax preparer to plead guilty to fraud

Lake Station tax preparer to plead guilty to fraud

Post-Tribune (IN) 

May 19, 2014 

A Lake Station tax preparer stole at least $400,000 and possibly up to $1 million by falsifying his clients’ tax returns to inflate their refunds and pocket the extra money, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court in Hammond. 

Michael Nash, 39, who was indicted in February, will plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and aggravated identity theft, the agreement indicates. 

It says Nash will admit that he paid someone, identified by federal authorities only as Individual A, whom he knew was filing false tax returns for client referrals. Nash would provide false information on these clients’ returns so it appeared they were due a larger refund than they actually were entitled to receive, the agreement says. 

Prosecutors said he would not tell many of the clients about the bigger refunds, directing that the extra money be deposited into his bank account. 

In addition, Nash used information from some clients to file their tax returns without their knowledge, pocketing all of the refunds in those cases, according to the indictment. 

Feds want to prevent evidence leak 

Federal prosecutors are seeking a protection order for all evidence against Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist and his wife that the government shares with his lawyers. 

The evidence is sensitive, and prosecutors want to make sure that it be used by the defendants and their attorneys only for their defense, according to motions filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Hammond. 

Soderquist and his wife, Deborah, are charged with taking money from the city food pantry and using his campaign fund for their personal use, including on numerous gambling trips, from 2010 to 2012. 

They also are charged in a separate case with helping Deborah Soderquist ’s daughter, Miranda Brakley, try to hide her theft of money from city court, where she worked as a clerk until she was fired in June 2012. 

Brakley is charged with theft and income tax evasion. All three have pleaded not guilty. 

05162014 - News Article - Prosecutors ask for protective order in Soderquist cases

Prosecutors ask for protective order in Soderquist cases 

Post-Tribune (IN) 

May 16, 2014 

Federal attorneys in Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist ’s two criminal cases want a protection order for all evidence they share with the defendants. 

According to motions filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, the government’s evidence is sensitive, and prosecutors are asking that it be used by the defendants and their attorneys only for their defense. 

Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist , are charged with using city and his campaign money for their personal use, including gambling trips. They are also charged in a separate case with acting as accessories after the fact in the alleged crime of Deborah Soderquist ’s daughter, Miranda Brakley, stealing money from the city and with money structuring. Brakley is also charged in that case. 

All three have pleaded not guilty. 

05072014 - News Article - Snyder, Evans clash over order to vacate office

Snyder, Evans clash over order to vacate office
NWI Times
May 07, 2014
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/snyder-evans-clash-over-order-to-vacate-office/article_0b72055c-fd7d-54ae-b835-5f20b1f3bd8f.html

VALPARAISO | Visitors to the Porter County Assessor's Office might find the staff sitting in the hall soon.

Assessor Jon Snyder said Board of Commissioners President John Evans notified his office Wednesday he would have to vacate one of the offices now used on the top floor and turn over his department's county car.

Snyder was given 30 days to clear out of the office, but no deadline was set for surrendering the car.

"It has been implied that this is retaliation against my office and staff for my support of the commissioner's political foe (Porter County Councilman Jim Biggs)," Snyder said in a statement released Wednesday. "I would like to think that this is not the case but is part of Commissioner Evans' master plan for Porter County.

"Although I have never seen a plan, I will continue to assume that this is the case," he said. "I have asked the commissioner to meet with me regarding his plan so we can better prepare for sudden changes such as these that he has ordered. I have no intention to make any changes until the full body of commissioners meets and makes its intentions known."

Snyder said he has reduced staff and presented a plan more than a year ago for consolidating his offices. He has two suites on the top floor and one on the building's main floor. His plan would have kept the one Evans wants him to vacate because it has a large conference room and is more taxpayer friendly, he said.

"The first floor suite is very small, and I wanted more space so taxpayers don't feel like they are walking into a cave. Unless there are some structural changes, I don't see how we can vacate that whole space. There's been a lot of talk, but they never moved forward with anything. We had plans we were working on, but now it's back to 'You have to get out in 30 days.'"

Since no alternate space was offered for his use, Snyder said he might move the furniture into the hallway so it will be easier for taxpayers. He also questioned Evans' authority to order the move. Evans said the commissioners president is in charge of allocating space in all the buildings.

"That's something Jon knew when he asked for the space," Evans said. "He's got plenty of room to put his people."

Evans said Snyder wanted the suite in question because it had the conference room for holding property tax appeals hearings. It was later decided to move those to the commissioners' meeting room on the main floor so they could use the large screen TVs. He said the other office has enough room for the assessor's few employees. The county council is in need of space and could use the space more than Snyder, he said.

"They have seven council people and two staff members in a space about the size of a broom closet," Evans said. "It's been discussed for a long time. Snyder is a hard guy to find and discuss things with, so I talked to his deputy about it."

Evans said no other assessor had a county car. Instead, they used their own cars and charged the mileage to the county. Snyder requested one that usually sits in the county garage unused, he said. The car was supposed to be for going out to assess properties, but Snyder recently got approval for a photographic system that enables him to take aerial pictures detailed enough to do the assessments without having to visit each property.

"We are in a cash crunch, and there are other departments that could need that vehicle. It probably will go to juvenile, but there are other departments that have expressed interest in a county car," Evans said.

Evans said he didn't understand the reason for Snyder's public statement about the move. He said he also authorized the Superior Court No. 6 in the north county administration building to use the space formerly occupied by the health department. Evans said he hasn't heard any complaint from them.

0502014 - News Article - Brakley asks to ease travel restrictions

Brakley asks to ease travel restrictions

Post-Tribune (IN) 

May 2, 2014 

Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist ’s stepdaughter, charged with stealing from the city, is asking a federal judge for permission to travel to Chicago for work. 

Miranda Brakley, who is also accused of lying in her bankruptcy case, says in her motion to travel that she was put on unpaid leave at her job at Omnicare in Griffith after she was charged in the case last month. 

Brakley has obtained a job at St. Bernard’s Hospital, the motion says, but her travel is restricted to the Northern District of Indiana as part of her bond. She is asking that she be allowed to travel to Chicago for her job. 

Brakley, a former court clerk for the city, is accused of stealing at least $5,000 from the city and then hiding $7,000 in income from her bankruptcy case. She has pleaded not guilty in the case. 

Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist , are also charged in the case with being an accessory after the fact and with money structuring. 

They are also charged in a second case with stealing money the mayor ’s election campaign and the city’s food pantry to pay for gambling trips. Both have also pleaded not guilty in the case. 

05022014 - News Article - Indicted mayor again skips council meeting

Indicted mayor again skips council meeting 

Post-Tribune (IN) 

May 2, 2014 

LAKE STATION — The television camera crews were a no-show at Thursday night’s city council meeting, but so was Mayor Keith Soderquist . 

Soderquist , his wife, Deborah, who is also his secretary, and his stepdaughter Miranda Brakley were indicted by a federal grand jury on a host of charges two weeks ago. 

The Soderquists face corruption charges related to using money from his campaign fund and the city food pantry for their personal use. Brakley was indicted for allegedly misusing city court funds and a false bankruptcy filing. 

The mayor , who regularly chairs council meetings, did not attend the last meeting two weeks ago, a day after the indictments were announced. That day, Chicago and local media and dozens of residents packed the council chambers, peppering council members with complaints and criticisms. 

Soderquist ’s absence Thursday drew mixed reactions from council members and those in the audience. 

“( Soderquist ’s) been to almost every meeting, so why, all of a sudden since the indictment ... he can’t attend the meeting?,” asked Cindy Daniels. “That just proves to the people he’s hiding.” 

Former food pantry director Linda Newton blasted Soderquist for missing the meeting, calling him a “coward.” Newton left the pantry early in Soderquist ’s administration, but she said her feelings were not related to their falling out. 

“This is not sour grapes. It’s doing what’s right for the people,” she said. 

Several councilmen said Soderquist has been working in his office recently, but they could not explain his absence from two consecutive council sessions. Todd Rogers, 3rd District, again chaired Thursday’s council meeting. 

“I would think ( Soderquist is) not hiding behind the indictments,” said Todd Lara, councilman at-large and a frequent supporter of the mayor . “He’s still running the city, as far as I know. He hasn’t been convicted of anything, though he’s been tarnished in the papers. Technically, by law, he doesn’t have to show up (at meetings) at all.” 

Councilman Harry Pedroza, 4th District, who has been criticized by other members for his meeting attendance, said, “When my attendance is questioned, why isn’t his? He was (attending) before, and he expected everybody else to be here.” 

05022014 - News Article - Public corruption suspect permitted to travel to Chicago for work

Public corruption suspect permitted to travel to Chicago for work

NWI Times

May 02, 2014 - 1:45 pm 

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/public-corruption-suspect-permitted-to-travel-to-chicago-for-work/article_0c479171-c554-503d-a1e9-951984d1accf.html

HAMMOND | A former Lake Station city court clerk indicted on public corruption charges has been granted permission to travel to Chicago for work, Hammond federal court records show.

Miranda Brakley, 33, sought the permission earlier this week to travel to Chicago for employment after recently being indicted in federal court along with her stepfather, Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist, and the mayor's wife, Deborah Soderquist.

Brakley, 33, argued in court papers she was placed on unpaid administrative leave by Omnicare in Griffith following an indictment alleging she stole at least $5,000 from the Lake Station City Court and was helped by the Soderquists in concealing the theft.

On Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Martin granted Brakley permission to travel outside of the Northern District of Indiana for part-time work as a pharmacy technician at St. Bernard's Hospital in Chicago, court records show. She is allowed to travel to Chicago for "work-related purposes only," the judge's ruling states.

Brakley is free on a $20,000 unsecured bond pending trial.

Brakley, Keith Soderquist, 44, and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, 55, pleaded not guilty in April to a total of 15 criminal charges spanning two public corruption indictments.