Man released on bond in public corruption case
NWI Times
Dec 5, 2016
nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/man-released-on-bond-in-public-corruption-case/article_e6484d5d-f400-57d7-8785-6893ef825812.html
HAMMOND — A towing firm operator, accused of paying bribes to Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and his second-in-command, was released on bond Monday.
William "Willie" Szarmach, operator of CSA Towing of Lake Station, was released on $300,000 bond secured by property he owns. He also must surrender a Lake County Sheriff's badge along with his passport and cannot have any firearms at his residence. Various law enforcement agencies issue honorary badges, although the practice can be controversial.
"The badge may be evidence in this case," Assistant U.S. District Attorney Philip Benson told U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry at Monday's detention hearing for Szarmach.
Cherry also said that Szarmach is restricted to travel within the Northern District of Indiana and Illinois and is to have no contact with potential victims or witnesses in the case. He left the federal courthouse in Hammond shortly after the hearing.
Buncich and Timothy Downs, chief of police for the sheriff's department, are accused of wire fraud and receiving $34,500 in illicit cash payments. Szarmach, Buncich and Downs pleaded not guilty last month to the government charges.
Last month's indictment alleges that between February 2014 and October of this year Buncich set in motion a scheme to enrich himself and Buncich Boosters, his political campaign committee. The government contends that Buncich accepted bribes allegedly from towing firms for cash and campaign contributions, although he didn't record all those contributions in his campaign finance reports as required by state law. The government said Downs collected some of the alleged bribes for Buncich.
According to the indictment, Buncich's campaign reports don't mention $12,000 in donations Szarmach and his towing firm allegedly made to Buncich.
Both Downs and Buncich were released on bond last month.
NWI Times
Dec 5, 2016
nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/man-released-on-bond-in-public-corruption-case/article_e6484d5d-f400-57d7-8785-6893ef825812.html
HAMMOND — A towing firm operator, accused of paying bribes to Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and his second-in-command, was released on bond Monday.
William "Willie" Szarmach, operator of CSA Towing of Lake Station, was released on $300,000 bond secured by property he owns. He also must surrender a Lake County Sheriff's badge along with his passport and cannot have any firearms at his residence. Various law enforcement agencies issue honorary badges, although the practice can be controversial.
"The badge may be evidence in this case," Assistant U.S. District Attorney Philip Benson told U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Cherry at Monday's detention hearing for Szarmach.
Cherry also said that Szarmach is restricted to travel within the Northern District of Indiana and Illinois and is to have no contact with potential victims or witnesses in the case. He left the federal courthouse in Hammond shortly after the hearing.
Buncich and Timothy Downs, chief of police for the sheriff's department, are accused of wire fraud and receiving $34,500 in illicit cash payments. Szarmach, Buncich and Downs pleaded not guilty last month to the government charges.
Last month's indictment alleges that between February 2014 and October of this year Buncich set in motion a scheme to enrich himself and Buncich Boosters, his political campaign committee. The government contends that Buncich accepted bribes allegedly from towing firms for cash and campaign contributions, although he didn't record all those contributions in his campaign finance reports as required by state law. The government said Downs collected some of the alleged bribes for Buncich.
According to the indictment, Buncich's campaign reports don't mention $12,000 in donations Szarmach and his towing firm allegedly made to Buncich.
Both Downs and Buncich were released on bond last month.
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