When I first read the news articles concerning the release of the transcripts of phone calls in reference to Portage Indiana Mayor James Snyder's and Kustom Towing owner John Cortina's bribe/juice money, I wanted to hurl - as emotions of what I had previously endured at the hands of sociopath narcissist Mayor Snyder came bubbling to the surface.
But for the first time, a new aspect of the extent of cruelty Snyder's cruelty crossed my mind, as I now began to wonder about the possibility of phone calls Snyder may have made in covering up my marital assets for the benefit of my ex; the illegal police entry into my home; the brutal deaths of my beloved furbabies Abbi and Bailey; and Snyder's successful cover-up to insure there was never any justice or accountability for the unlawful police entry and deaths of Abbi and Bailey.
How many bribe/juice phone calls did Mayor Snyder make - and to whom - to insure that I was punished for reporting Porter County Superior Court Magistrate James Johnson's failure to protect domestic violence victims?
Just how much 'juice money' did it cost, to insure there was never an investigation into my case - after all, in light of this new evidence, I do have a right to ask.
Transcripts: Defendant describes alleged bribes to Portage mayor as "juice money"
NWI Times
November 19, 2018
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/transcripts-defendant-describes-alleged-bribes-to-portage-mayor-as-juice/article_664f27e5-351c-511c-8efd-9754a006e597.html
HAMMOND — Calling it "juice money," a Portage contractor detailed how to disguise alleged bribes as campaign donations to Mayor James Snyder, transcripts of undercover recordings filed by federal prosecutors state.
Portage Mayor James Snyder's criminal defense attorney is trying to quash those undercover recordings, which federal prosecutors say link Snyder to a bribery scheme.
Transcripts of the undercover recordings of conversations among Snyder, co-defendant John Cortina, a confidential informant and others filed Sunday in U.S. Federal Court detail evidence prosecutors hope to introduce when Snyder's public corruption trial begins in January.
The 83-page document includes transcripts of secret recordings beginning May 29, 2014, and ending Nov. 10, 2016, six days before Snyder and Cortina were indicted. Cortina, owner of Kustom Auto of Portage, was charged with one count of paying a bribe. Snyder was charged with accepting that bribe.
Snyder also faces two additional charges, including another bribery charge and tax evasion involving his mortgage company. Snyder and Cortina's joint trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 14.
Snyder is hoping those undercover tapes will be thrown out before they ever reach a jury's ears.
In a motion filed Saturday by Snyder's attorney, Jackie Bennett Jr., of Indianapolis, his defense contends that prosecutors missed the Nov. 16 deadline to file the summary of evidence.
"Mr. Snyder cannot prepare a defense to a secret case," Bennett wrote, adding prosecutors have missed several deadlines.
Because prosecutors have missed deadlines, Snyder's defense team is asking the court to rule "that the government cannot introduce any of the out-of-court recordings of Mr. Cortina in a trial involving Mr. Snyder," Bennett wrote.
Bennett contends the recordings are "hearsay," and their introduction is prohibited by rules of evidence.
The tapes, according to prosecutors, provide evidence of a conspiracy in the bribery case — and that the excerpts filed in Hammond federal court may be just a tip of the iceberg when the trial begins.
"The government expressly reserves the right to offer additional statements of indicted and unindicted co-conspirators," according to the government's filing.
Who is on the tapes?
Two of the "unindicted co-conspirators" in the tapes are referred to as Public Official 1 and Public Official 2, who, according to the transcripts, acted as lead people between Snyder, Cortina and Individual A, also referred to as the Confidential Human Source. The CHS was described as a retired police officer and owner of a Northwest Indiana towing firm, who, after meeting with the FBI, agreed to cooperate with federal authorities to uncover corruption regarding the awarding of towing contracts in Northwest Indiana.
Scott Jurgensen, an FBI informant and owner of Samson's Towing in Merrillville, was a key witness in the unrelated bribery trial of former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich. Jurgensen paid a bribe to Buncich in the form of a $2,000 check for Buncich's campaign and an additional $500 in cash.
Buncich was indicted on the same day as Snyder and Cortina. The former sheriff was convicted in August 2017 on charges of taking bribes in a lucrative towing contract scheme.
The first name "Scott" and references to Samson's Towing are included in the transcripts of excerpts of the government's filing in the Snyder/Cortina case.
"The evidence summarized above establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that James Snyder, John Cortina, Public Official 1, and Public Official 2, conspired, and/or engaged in the scheme/joint venture as charged in Counts One and Two of the indictment, or acted as agents of Snyder in furtherance of the above described joint criminal activity," according to the government's conclusion in the filing, adding the statements made by the parties should be found admissible in court.
A tale of the tapes
According to court records, the initial recording on May 29, 2014, is between Snyder and Individual A regarding what it would take to get Individual A's tow company on the city's towing list.
The two discuss Cortina and possibly having him remove the towing company with which he was then partnering and taking on Individual 1's company, transcripts state.
The next recording is on Jan. 26, 2016, between Cortina and Individual A regarding getting Individual A on the list of towing contractors doing business with the city, court records state.
During the conversation, Cortina is quoted as telling Individual A that he is "tight" with Snyder's brother, who "lets me know everything." Cortina also is quoted as saying he already had lent the mayor about $20,000, including money for his personal business. Cortina tells Individual A that Snyder never has paid him back but that he continues to help out Snyder and his family.
"I've always helped their kids at Christmastime and what have ya," Cortina is quoted in transcripts as saying.
The transcripts continue from conversations taped on 16 different dates, centering on Individual A getting on the city's tow list. According to the transcripts, Cortina and Individual A each gave Snyder $6,000, for a total of $12,000 to be put on the city's tow list. Individual A's company eventually was put on the tow list after work by Public Official 1 and Public Official 2.
On Feb. 1, 2016, Cortina called Snyder, according to transcripts.
"Hey, uh Christmas is here," Cortina is quoted as telling the mayor, arranging to meet Snyder 15 minutes later at Snyder's private company office with the money.
In the tapes, Cortina, often using vulgar language, also discusses with Individual A how to disguise the alleged bribe as a donation and later calls the money "juice money."
"He ... he called it (expletive) loans. He calls it loans," Cortina said.
"You call it juice money," responds Individual A.
"I call it (expletive) juice. I call it what it is. What the (expletive). ... Call it juice money," Cortina is quoted as responding.
Cortina also allegedly told Individual A in several conversations that Cortina is like a family member to Snyder, had paid for vacations for the family, been with Snyder in Las Vegas and bought the mayor's children "thousands" of dollars of fireworks every year.
Conversations documented in the transcripts also centered on Cortina's business repairing the car of Public Official 1's wife for no charge.
Recordings: Alleged payments to Portage mayor 'juice' for towing contract
Chicago Tribune
November 19, 2018
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-trial-undercover-recordings-st-1120-story.html
Federal prosecutors aim to use a series of undercover recordings during trial to prove how Portage Mayor James Snyder allegedly solicited bribes to award a city towing contract.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson on Monday filed an 83-page document in federal court asking a judge to allow them to use recordings between a tow operator cooperating with the FBI and John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, who is Snyder’s co-defendant in the corruption case, to show the conspiracy to solicit bribes.
Snyder’s defense attorney, Jackie Bennett, two days before, had already asked a judge to block the admission of those recordings after federal prosecutors failed to meet a deadline to file the request.
“The government’s evidence will establish that defendants Snyder and Cortina engaged in, or aided and abetted in, a conspiracy or joint venture, to commit bribery through the payment and receipt of funds disguised as campaign contributions to further the personal and political interests of the defendants,” Benson said, in court documents.
Benson said that in 2016, a confidential source, who operated a tow company, recorded conversations with Cortina where he was told to reportedly pay Snyder to get on the city’s towing list. Benson said that the source and Cortina allegedly each gave Snyder $6,000, in check form, to the Portage mayor’s campaign fund and “roundtable committee,” according to court documents.
During one recorded conversation, Cortina reportedly said that Snyder call the money “loans” but he called it “juice money.”
During an Aug. 9, 2016 meeting, the confidential source recorded a conversation with Cortina where the two discussed the $12,000 payment and getting on Portage’s tow list, according to court documents.
“Uh, I asked the mayor last night if he needs anything. He says he doesn’t need anything,” Cortina said, on the Aug. 9 recording. “So forget it. We gave $12,000.”
“Yeah, I know,” the source said.
“We gave $12,000. I’m, I’m gonna (unintelligible),” Cortina said.
“We, and we gave $12,000 and we got nothing,” the source said.
“Yeah, I know,” Cortina said.
“Until today,” the source said.
“Well, ‘til today,” Cortina replied.
On Saturday, Bennett asked a judge to bar prosecutors from using the recordings during the trial because the filing was not submitted by the deadline. Prosecutors had asked a judge to file the proffer on Nov. 16, according to court records, but did not file the document until Nov. 19.
“Mr. Snyder believes the court’s deadlines matter, particularly where the government sets a deadline for itself, representing it will meet the deadline,” Bennett wrote. “Mr. Snyder does not believe deadlines are meek suggestions. If deadlines matter, it is now too late...”
Bennett said the missed deadline should deem the recordings of Cortina inadmissible.
As preparations for the trial continue, Bennett said the continued delay by the prosecutors with filing the proffer, which is supposed to describe their theory of the case. has complicated their work.
Bennett said, as of Saturday, that the government’s theory “remains a secret.”
“Mr. Snyder cannot prepare a defense to a secret case,” Bennett said. “He cannot finalize preparing cross-examination questions, expert disclosures, witness lists, exhibit lists, discovery production, or any other element of trial preparation, against a secret case.”
Snyder’s trial is set to begin in January, according to court records.
Snyder and Cortina were charged in November 2016 with allegedly violating a federal bribery statue. Federal prosecutors said the mayor allegedly solicited money from Cortina and “Individual A” and gave them a towing contract for Portage.
Snyder allegedly accepted two checks, one for $10,000 and another for $2,000, from Cortina and “Individual A.”
Snyder received an additional bribery indictment for alleged accepting $13,000 in connection with a Portage Board of Works contract.
Additional charges allege that Snyder obstructed Internal Revenue Service laws.
Snyder and Cortina both pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents.
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