01142019 - News Article - UPDATE: Jury selection begins in Portage mayor's federal public corruption trial

UPDATE: Jury selection begins in Portage mayor's federal public corruption trial
NWI Times
January 14, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/education/undercover-tapes-alleged-bribes-and-schemes-accused-portage-mayor-to/article_b0dfddcd-a6c4-5d90-9db1-a08e15485258.html

HAMMOND — Shortly before noon Monday, 68 people were led into a federal courtroom.

For 15 of them, their lives will change over the next four weeks as jury selection begins in the Portage Mayor James Snyder public corruption case.

Snyder gained a small victory as his case began Monday.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen ruled a conversation between Snyder and his brother, Jon Snyder, will not be admitted into court.

The conversation happened two days after the indictment was handed down.

While Van Bokkelen stated he didn’t believe there was anything worth while in the conversation, he said it should not have happened.

Van Bokkelen said the demarcation line should have been when the indictment was issued. Prosecutors crossed that line when a report was made on that conversation.

“At the end of the day, it probably makes no difference, other than it was wrong,” Van Bokkelen said.

Prosecutors received a boost when the judge ruled in their favor that the defense team had no right, for the time being, to view the full personnel file of an FBI agent involved in the investigation.

The investigation
Snyder, a Republican and in his second term as Portage's mayor, was indicted in November 2016 and charged with two counts of bribery and one count of tax evasion. He has been under investigation by the FBI for about five years.

Van Bokkelen said Friday during a status hearing he anticipates the selection of a jury will be completed Monday and opening statements will be made Tuesday before prosecutors begin calling witnesses. The trial is anticipated to last four weeks.

John Cortina, 79, owner of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, pleaded guilty on Friday to paying Snyder a $12,000 bribe and has agreed to fully cooperate with federal prosecutors. He is expected at some point to testify against Snyder.

Also expected to testify is James Snyder's brother, Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder, who worked with the FBI as a confidential informant, secretly audio taping conversations with his brother and others. Jon Snyder pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor federal tax charge and is awaiting a February sentencing date.

Scott Jurgenson, owner of Sampson towing, is also anticipated to testify during the trial. Jurgenson also worked as an undercover agent with the FBI during its investigation into corruption in government tow contracts in the Region.

Several other Portage officials and employees are also expected to take the stand. 

Court documents have indicated there will be some 120,000 pages/pieces of evidence introduced during the trial along with some 20 undercover audio tapes.