04192018 - News Article - Dan Murchek, a former top Lake County police commander and figure in John Buncich's public corruption trial, resigns without disclosing reason

Dan Murchek, a former top Lake County police commander and figure in John Buncich's public corruption trial, resigns without disclosing reason
NWI Times
April 19, 2018
Updated - May 03, 2018
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dan-murchek-a-former-top-lake-county-police-commander-and/article_a2509904-555e-504a-a0dd-bc205d4d4e7a.html

CROWN POINT — A high-ranking administrator under the disgraced administration of former Sheriff John Buncich abruptly left the department this week.

Dan Murchek issued a brief resignation letter late Wednesday, according to County Police Chief William Paterson, who said Murchek didn't offer any reason for his departure.

Murchek was in his 24th year as a county police officer. He rose to third in command of the county Sheriff's Department between 2011 and last fall.

He also announced last summer he would be a candidate for sheriff this year.

He abandoned that campaign earlier this year in the wake of Buncich's conviction on federal bribery and fraud charges.

Buncich is serving a 188-month prison term, currently at a federal secure medical facility in Springfield, Missouri, after a U.S. District Court jury found Buncich guilty of soliciting and accepting campaign contributions from two towing firms in return for giving them more lucrative towing work.

The federal investigation into the county Sheriff's Department also swept up Timothy Downs, who was Buncich's former second-in-command. Downs pleaded guilty to distributing Buncich's campaign fundraising tickets and collecting the contributions, all on county time and in his publicly owned vehicle. Downs is still awaiting sentencing.

Tom Goralczyk, a former Merrillville town councilman, pleaded guilty in January to accepting a bribe in the towing scandal and is awaiting sentencing.

Murchek hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing, but was the subject of testimony at Buncich's trial by Scott Jurgensen, owner of Samson’s Towing, of Merrillville, and a confidential government informant.

Jurgensen told jurors last summer that Downs and Murchek once brought him the sheriff's campaign fundraising tickets, and he bought thousands of dollars of tickets even though he never went to the fundraising events.

Jurgensen said he was prepared to support Downs for sheriff once Buncich left office because of term limits, but Downs later backed out after Murchek opened his own campaign for sheriff.

He said he gave Murchek campaign contributions, and Murchek promised him a county police towing list that would be shorter than Buncich's.

Democratic precinct committee members selected Oscar Martinez as the new sheriff Sept. 16. Martinez demoted Murchek to a deputy patrol commander.