U.S. Attorney General indicts three more
NWI Times
Aug 6, 2004
nwitimes.com/news/local/u-s-attorney-general-indicts-three-more/article_150cb8e2-bb55-556f-aacf-428f0f3314c1.html
SCHERERVILLE -- U.S. Attorney General Joseph Van Bokkelen today indicted two prominent people on criminal charges. Former Schererville Town Court Judge Deborah Riga was charged with extortion. James H. Fife has been indicted on four counts of tax fraud for hiding income that would have resulted in the payment of $325,000 in taxes.
According to Van Bokkelen, Fife hid his income from East Chicago to avoid paying those taxes. His wife Karen H. Krahn has been indicted on two counts of tax fraud.
A federal grand jury says former judge Deborah A. Riga dispensed fraud and extortion rather than justice from her town court.
Hundreds of minor offenders who appeared before who thought they were coming to her court to receive counseling for traffic and substance abuse violations where in fact being shaken down, U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen said Friday at a press conference.
He, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter and Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter said a task force of state police and FBI agents discovered evidence Riga pocketed more than $30,000 in traffic school and counseling fees she ordered paid to a counseling service she owned, in violation of state law and canons of judicial ethics.
A 20-page indictment alleges Riga also extorted $2,000 from Nancy Fromm, president of Addiction and Family Care. Fromm told investigators Riga would have canceled Addiction and Family Care's lucrative contract to provide counseling to other town court defendants if she hadn't paid the bribes.
Fromm couldn't be reached Friday for comment. A source close to her said Fromm is a cooperating witness for the government and her firm has been cleared of wrongdoing involving the town court.
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