Fromm plea deal shifts focus to political insider
Cooperation could give more information about role of Robert Cantrell
Post-Tribune (IN)
March 16, 2007
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A plea agreement by a minor player in several political scandals has Lake County government officials buzzing about the future of political fixer Robert Cantrell.
Nancy Fromm, whose drug counseling service had contracts with more than a dozen county courts and government entities, pleaded guilty Thursday to a single count of obstruction of justice and a tax evasion charge filed by federal prosecutors Wednesday afternoon.
Court observers have said Fromm's indictment a little more than a year ago was an attempt by prosecutors to pressure her for information on Cantrell's role in her company's success in winning government business from office-holders tied to Cantrell.
In her plea agreement Fromm agreed to cooperate with federal investigations, but her attorney, J. Michael Katz, said the language is standard for deals with federal prosecutors and noted the government had not dropped or reduced any charges against his client.
"This has nothing to do with Bob Cantrell. This only has to do with what Nancy did," Katz said. "You cannot get a plea agreement out of the government without that language. There is nothing unique about it as it relates to Nancy."
Fromm's Addiction and Family Care was at the center of the federal investigation of former Schererville town judge Deborah Riga, who pleaded guilty of extorting money from court contractors. Prosecutors dropped a charge she allegedly demanded $2,000 from Fromm to steer court business to Addiction and Family Care.
The company also had contracts with Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell, Robert Cantrell's daughter. Judge Jesse Villalpando has complained Cantrell has backed Villalpando's rivals in recent elections in part because he has refused to award contracts to Fromm.
Fromm's obstruction of justice indictment came after she did not hand over more than 10,000 handwritten index cards detailing her income from the counseling program after all documents related to her business finances were subpoenaed by prosecutors in 2005. She also pleaded guilty to stating the income from her business was $35,000 on her 2003 federal tax return, when in fact the figure was "materially greater."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Ault would not comment on any deal with Fromm. In the past, U.S. Attorneys have not reduced or dropped charges against indictees who later testify or provide information in other investigations.
However, prosecutors have agreed to delay the sentencing in plea deals, then recommend a reduction.
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