Tow operator pleads guilty, admits paying bribes to Lake County Sheriff John Buncich
Chicago Tribune
July 31, 2017
A tow operator admitted in federal court Monday he paid bribes to Lake County Sheriff John Buncich to secure more work from the county.
William Szarmach, 60, of C.S.A. Towing, pleaded guilty to charges of bribery, wire fraud and tax evasion during a hearing Monday after being charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office alongside Buncich and former Chief of Police Timothy Downs. Judge James Moody has not formally accepted the plea deal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson said the government's evidence shows that Szarmach realized that it order to get on the county's list of tow operators required payments, in the form of cash or through the purchase of fundraising tickets for the sheriff.
Szarmach realized around 2010 that other tow operators had more business, Benson said.
"If more money was paid, he could get more towing," Benson said.
To get on the tow list was a coveted position, Benson said, and to stay on it was just as valuable.
Once Benson described the facts of the case, Moody asked Szarmach for his plea.
"Guilty, your honor," Szarmach said.
Szarmach, in the agreement, laid out how he gave the sheriff more than $10,000 over the course of several years to get more towing business through the Lake County Sheriff's Department, according to court documents.
Buncich, Downs and Szarmach were named in a multicount indictment in November alleging a towing scheme where 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.
Buncich has publicly and in court documents insisted on his innocence.
"For those who know me and my 45 years in law enforcement, you know that I would never compromise my integrity or professionalism and cannot be guilty of these charges; trust that I would never sell my office — not for any amount. I assure you that I am absolutely innocent," Buncich wrote in an April statement.
Downs pleaded guilty in December and resigned his position at the Lake County Sheriff's Department, according to court documents.
"Based upon my experience in the towing business in Northwest Indiana, it was my belief that in order to remain on the Lake County tow list, or to increase my towing area, I would have to buy tickets to many, if not all of Sheriff John Buncich's fundraising events and pay additional cash payments," the plea agreement read.
"To become involved, to increase, or to retain my Lake County towing, beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2016, I regularly purchased tickets to Sheriff John Buncich's fundraising events by cash and check," the agreement read. "These purchases were sometimes directly with the sheriff himself, and other times, through other individuals employed by the Lake County sheriff's officer, including the chief of police and co-defendant, Timothy Downs."
The purchases were made to reportedly get promises from the sheriff, including securing Szarmach's spot on the towing list, enlarging his heavy and light towing, getting Gary ordinance towing done by the Lake County Sheriff's Department, and getting help from the sheriff to get towing at Indiana University Northwest, according to court documents.
"To increase my Lake County towing, I simply paid more money for more towing," Szarmach said, in the plea agreement. "Sometimes these payments were in cash, other times, disguised as campaign check contributions, or sometimes a mix of both cash and checks."
Szarmach hurriedly answered Moody's questions whether he understood the details on the plea agreement.
"Relax. Take a deep breath," Moody said.
Szarmach pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, bribery and tax evasion, according to court documents. The wire fraud and bribery charges each carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the plea agreement, and the failure to file tax returns has a maximum of one year incarceration and a fine not to exceed $100,000.
As a part of the deal, Szarmach agreed for pay $89,448 in restitution for the tax charge.
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