Prosecutor: Retired officer crucial in Indiana bribery probe
Washington Times
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A retired police officer was instrumental in an investigation that led to charges alleging that a northwestern Indiana sheriff, his top deputy and a mayor collected bribes in return for contracts for towing and other services, a federal prosecutor said.
United States Attorney David Capp said the voluntary cooperation and assistance of Scott Jurgenson, owner of Samson’s Towing of Merrillville, helped investigators uncover the alleged corruption, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported (http://bit.ly/2fcdZTN ).
Capp said Jurgenson spent 22 years as an officer with the Merrillville Police Department before retiring.
The indictments announced Nov. 18 name Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, Chief Deputy Tim Downs, Portage Mayor James Snyder and two owners of local tow companies - William Szarmach of Chase Street Auto in Lake Station and John Cortina of Kustom Auto Body in Portage.
Prosecutors allege that between February 2014 and October 2016, Buncich, Downs and Szarmach worked to enrich Buncich and his campaign committee, Buncich Boosters, through towing contracts.
Buncich received over $25,000 in cash and $7,000, often collected by Downs, in checks from Szarmach and an unnamed individual for towing contracts in Gary and Lake County, prosecutors said. Buncich, who is chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, was elected to his fourth term as sheriff in 2015.
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