08152017 - News Article - Gary mayor explains city's towing deal with Lake County in sheriff's trial

Gary mayor explains city's towing deal with Lake County in sheriff's trial
POST-TRIBUNE NEWS
August 15, 2017
chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-buncich-trial-day-7-st-0816-20170815-story.html
Federal prosecutors on Tuesday pointedly asked if Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson ever needed to take $3,500 from a tow operator's vehicle as a campaign donation.

"No," Freeman-Wilson said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson pushed the Gary mayor on how she does campaign finance reporting after Lake County Sheriff John Buncich's defense called her to the stand to discuss cooperative efforts between the city and the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Freeman-Wilson was the first in a series of witnesses Buncich's defense put on the stand Tuesday morning, the seventh day of his public corruption trial at the federal courthouse in Hammond.

Benson noted that both the sheriff and Freeman-Wilson have contributed to each others' campaigns over the years and asked if those donations were made in the form of cash or check.

Freeman-Wilson said she thinks any donations given or received were done in the form of check.

"I don't handle my contributions," Freeman-Wilson said. "I just didn't do that as a matter of course."

Benson said the mayor had never listed any donations as anonymous and if that was a correct statement.

"That's correct," Freeman-Wilson said.

While prosecutors focused on the Freeman-Wilson's campaign finance habits, defense attorneys sought to establish why the city asked the Lake County Sheriff's Department for assistance.

Freeman-Wilson said in 2013 Gary had a record number of homicides and has continued to deal with crime-related issues and blight. Freeman-Wilson said she reached out to the state, federal government and Lake County Sheriff's Department for assistance.

Freeman-Wilson said she thought it was important to get as many people on the streets as the city had to its avail.

An agreement signed in 2014 gave the Sheriff's Department authority to enforce city ordinances, including those that might require a vehicle being towed.

Federal prosecutors say the sheriff used his position to solicit bribes from tow operators in exchange for more work.

Undercover recordings presented last week during the trial show tow operators Scott Jurgensen and William Szarmach looking for more work through Gary, as the Sheriff's Department then had a memorandum of understanding to enforce city ordinances, including towing.

The timeline presented during the prosecution's case showed the tow operators complaining about the lack of towing in Gary and the sheriff eventually putting a new officer on that detail.

Jurgensen is heard on one of the recordings taken during a September 2016 meeting saying that the new officer seemed to be working out pretty well.

"Well John, I really appreciate what you did for me," Jurgensen said to Buncich on the audio recording.

Defense attorney Larry Rogers asked if Gary had any input into what tow operators the Sheriff's Department used.

"No," Freeman-Wilson said.

Benson asked if the city retained any of the money from a vehicle towed by a county officer.

Freeman-Wilson said the city did not retain that money.

As the defense continued presenting witnesses to the jury, one tow operator sparred with federal prosecutors during cross examination.

John Nauracy, of J.A.N. Towing in East Chicago, took the stand Tuesday afternoon, telling jurors he never felt pressured by the sheriff to buy campaign fundraiser tickets. Nauracy said former Lake County Chief of Police Timothy Downs and Deputy Chief Dan Murchek showed up one day asking him to buy tickets but he told them to leave.

Downs was indicted with Buncich and Szarmach in November. He and Szarmach have entereed into plea agreements with the government.

Nauracy's testimony took a turn when federal prosecutors pushed him to describe an incident where he allegedly drove to the government's informant's home, identified as Jurgensen during the trial, setting off a heated exchange between the East Chicago tow operator and Benson.

Benson asked Nauracy if he had ever driven to Jurgensen's house and tow yard to take video or pictures.

"Yes," Nauracy said.

Nauracy said a local political activist asked him to drive him to Jurgensen's house and business to get pictures for a blog.

Benson asked if Nauracy thought it was a good idea to go to the home of a then-confidential witness.

"No," Nauracy said.

The exchange continued as Benson and Nauracy talked over each other.

"Tone it down," said Judge James Moody.

Nauracy said people thought he was "Individual A" and he thought showing the activist Jurgensen would clear his name.

"Life's hell when you're the informant, isn't it?" Benson asked.

"Sure is," Nauracy said.

Benson then turned the conversation, asking if Nauracy had ever met Buncich at Dunkin' Donuts and wrote him a check.

"I don't remember writing him a check for anything," Nauracy said.

After Nauracy's testimony, attorneys asked for a sidebar with Moody, who after a brief recess asked the East Chicago tow operator to join them at the bench.

The party conferred for a few minutes before Moody recessed court for the day, dismissing the jury.

The defense is expected to continue presenting witnesses Wednesday.