Lake County Sheriff Buncich's bribery trial is set to begin Monday
Here's what you need to know
NWI Times
August 06, 2017
HAMMOND — Federal prosecutors have the challenge of proving that a man with all the power and money of Lake County Sheriff John Buncich would stoop to bribery.
Buncich has a law enforcement career stretching over four decades. He commands 475 county police, corrections officers and civilian employees, as well as a $32 million annual budget and a personal salary of more than $146,000.
But he is scheduled to be in the dock like any common criminal defendant Monday in U.S. District Court where wire fraud and bribery counts against him are to be tried before a jury.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Benson and Maria N. Lerner are set next week to begin presenting evidence that Buncich solicited and accepted about $30,000 in bribes over seven years from two towing firms removing vehicles from public roads for county police.
Defense attorneys Bryan M. Truitt and Larry W. Rogers, of Valparaiso, have argued in a pre-trial document that no bribes reached the sheriff's hand.
Instead, they say the sheriff delegated trivial matters like towing to Timothy Downs, his former chief of police, and that Buncich is now disappointed Downs failed to act honestly.
The government is expected to call Downs to the witness stand as well as tow truck owners who are expected to testify that Buncich accepted kickbacks willingly.
Defense attorneys have left open the possibility the sheriff may testify, too.
Federal investigators began investigating towing bribery allegations about three years ago, but that only became public Nov. 10, 2016, when an FBI panel truck pulled up outside the sheriff's office and agents began seizing county towing records.
Eight days later, a federal grand jury indicted Buncich, Downs and William Szarmach, owner and operator of CSA Towing in Lake Station.
Downs pleaded guilty last December and Szarmach last week to playing roles in the alleged scheme.
Court records indicate county police called towing firms to remove more than 12,000 vehicles that stalled or were involved in accidents or crime investigations between 2012 and 2016.
Towing contracts lucrative to owners
Buncich had sole authority over which firms were on the county's approved towing list those years.
Benson stated in federal court last week that towing was a vital concern to the towing firms, which could make $10,000 or more from just one job involving a heavy vehicle, like a tractor trailer.
Szarmach alleges he knew from experience he must contribute to Buncich's political campaign for sheriff to get that lucrative work.
Downs admitted in his plea agreement he delivered campaign fundraising tickets to towing firms and their contributions to the sheriff, because the sheriff ordered him to do so.
Szarmach alleges he paid Buncich $500 cash in 2009 and $1,000 months later.
But even though Szarmach was then on the towing list, he states in his plea agreement he was only one of a dozen such firms splitting up the work. He thought his share was too small, so he made additional payments in cash and a check of $2,500 in 2015, $3,500 in April 2016 and $3,500 in August 2016.
A confidential government informant now identified as Scott Jurgensen, of Samson Towing of Merrillville, also is alleged to have made similar payment to Buncich.
Buncich's lawyers allege in a court document that Downs, Szarmach and Jurgensen conspired to take over all county police towing, but Buncich did nothing wrong.
The government made extensive recordings in connection with its bribery investigation.
Buncich's lawyers say $1,000 the sheriff is seen accepting from Szarmach was the repayment of money the sheriff earlier loaned Szarmach.
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