No verdict in Portage mayor's corruption trial; jurors to resume deliberations Thursday
Chicago Tribune
February 13, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-trial-verdict-st-0214-story.html
A federal jury went home at 4 p.m. Wednesday without a verdict in Portage Mayor James Snyder’s public corruption trial.
The jury is expected to return Thursday morning. The 12 jurors deliberated for roughly seven hours Wednesday before Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen called prosecutors, Snyder and his defense attorneys into the courtroom to tell them the jury would be recessed.
“I’m going to bring the jury in and excuse them. For the day,” Van Bokkelen said.
Snyder, 38, was charged with allegedly taking a $12,000 bribe to ensure a tow operator partnered with a longtime friend and political supporter of the mayor to get on the city’s tow list; steering city contracts for garbage trucks to a firm in exchange for a $13,000 payout; and using a shell company to hide income and assets from the IRS.
Snyder was not in the federal courthouse until shortly before the jury recessed for the day. The mayor came into court with his wife, Deborah, and defense attorneys.
The jury began deliberating Wednesday morning at federal court in Hammond, 18 days after Snyder’s trial began. The 12 jurors heard 15 days of testimony and evidence in the case.
Federal prosecutors have said that Snyder moved from scheme to scheme to enrich himself. Prosecutors say he hid money from the IRS to avoid the government from collecting all the money it was owed; saw a chance to net a kickback by seeing a truck dealership owned by political backers received city business; and masked a bribe as a campaign donation, knowing he was under federal investigation.
“James Snyder does not think rules apply to him,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster, during opening statements in January.
Throughout the trial, Snyder’s defense team has aimed to show the jurors that the mayor did nothing criminal, and claimed the charges came about through a lengthy investigation driven by lies told to the FBI by the mayor’s political opponents.
“This man has not been treated fairly by his government,” said defense attorney Jackie Bennett Jr., during closing arguments.
Snyder was indicted in November 2016 and charged with allegedly violating a federal bribery statue. Federal prosecutors said the mayor allegedly solicited money from John Cortina, 79, of Kustom Auto Body, and “Individual A” and gave them a towing contract for Portage.
Snyder received an additional bribery indictment for alleged accepting $13,000 in connection with a Portage Board of Works contract, and allegedly obstructing Internal Revenue Service laws.
Snyder has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents.
Cortina, who was indicted alongside the mayor, in January pleaded guilty to a charge that he paid bribes to Snyder to get a spot on the tow list.
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