Commissioners start selecting towing operators
Post-Tribune
May 17, 2017
Lake County officials are getting ready to implement a new towing protocol June 1, including newly drawn districts.
The Lake County Council moved control over the county's towing contracts to the commissioners after Lake County Sheriff John Bunch was indicted in federal court on charges he solicited bribes from towing operators in exchange for more tow jobs.
The Board of Commissioners accepted signed contracts from nine of 20 towing companies Wednesday. The remaining 11 companies have until May 30 to return their signed contracts.
Michael Repay, D-Hammond, president of the Board of Commissioners, said 23 companies submitted forms required to be considered by the Sheriff's Department to tow vehicles. Three of those companies were disqualified for not properly following the procedure, he said.
Repay said a loosely prepared map dividing the county into five quadrants has been prepared based on the nine contracts received so far. A final map will be prepared after the May 30 deadline for returning the signed contracts.
"At this point, with nine turned in, we may have a different outcome than if there are 20 (companies)," Repay said. "This has never been done before. We don't know how it will play out."
Some of the 20 who have been offered contracts with the county are new vendors and some were vendors under the contract while it was overseen by Buncich.
Buncich, former Chief of Police Timothy Downs and William Szarmach of CSA Towing in Lake Stationwere named in a multicount indictment in November alleging an illegal towing scheme in which the sheriff accepted bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cash and donations to his campaign fund, Buncich's Boosters, according to court records. All three are facing charges of wire fraud, and Buncich and Szarmach also are charged with bribery.
Buncich and Szarmach have pleaded not guilty. Downs previously struck a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's office, which a federal judge has not yet accepted, admitting he allegedly cooperated with Buncich to solicit bribes from tow truck operators for favorable treatment.
The sheriff, whose department was in charge of deciding which companies were called for towing services, and the chief allegedly steered business toward towing operators in exchange for cash and checks, the U.S. attorney alleged in the 14-page indictment. Buncich allegedly took more than $25,000 in cash bribes and $7,000 in checks from Szarmach and another towing operator identified as "Individual A," according to the indictment.
Five of the 13 original contractors providing towing services under the sheriff did not participate in the requalification process: D.C. Towing, J.A.N. Towing, Bennie's Towing, CSA Towing and Samson Towing.
Companies that have returned their contracts and will be including in the new program are Steve's Towing of Merrillville, Double T Towing of Griffith, Purkey's Towing of Merrillville, Ray and Wally's Towing of Merrillville, Ridgeway Service Towing and Recovery Specialists of Griffith, McCoy & Sons Towing of Hammond, Bert's Towing Inc. of Hammond, 1st Response Towing of Merrillville and Republic Frame and Axle of Gary.
John Dull, commissioners' attorney, said the existing towing companies have been given 90-day notice their contracts will be canceled. Until that 90 days expires in August, there will be some overlap with those companies still providing services under the new protocol along with the new companies.
"Some companies couldn't be booted until the current contract runs out in August," Dull said.
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