03232007 - News Article - Lake officials: Cantrell scandal doesn't touch us - Politically connected counseling firm won contracts around the county - ROBERT CANTRELL

Lake officials: Cantrell scandal doesn't touch us
Politically connected counseling firm won contracts around the county
NWI Times
Mar 23, 2007
nwitimes.com/news/local/lake-officials-cantrell-scandal-doesn-t-touch-us/article_1e8aa5e2-b4fe-5e25-a3f5-7c61b741698f.html
CROWN POINT | Lake County officials insisted Thursday allegations swirling around indicted political operative Robert Cantrell never touched them.

"Most of what I knew about Bobby Cantrell I read in the paper because I've always avoided him," County Commissioner Fran DuPey, D-Hammond, said Thursday.

County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez said he was surprised to learn Cantrell allegedly profited so handsomely from Addiction and Family Care, a Hammond-based counseling that did work for the sheriff's office and other county and municipal departments.

All of the comments from county officials followed the Wednesday indictment of Cantrell in Hammond federal court on 11 felony counts related to fraud and tax evasion -- some of the counts relating directly to work Cantrell did in steering business to Addiction and Family Care.

While he has known Cantrell for many years, Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Schererville, denied having ever been unduly influenced by the well-known power broker.

"Bob and I have know each other for 45 years through sports," Scheub said. "Both of us are very aggressive on the athletic field, and Bob would never make me do something if I didn't want to do it."

Dyer defense lawyer Kevin Milner, who represents Cantrell, said Thursday his client will plead not guilty.

"This case will go to trial and hopefully the quicker and better," Milner said. "I was surprised that after the years they spent going through every aspect of his life, that this was all they came up with.

"I thought there would be something of substance. This lady, Nancy Fromm, got herself in trouble, and now she's trying to lower her sentence."

The indictment alleges Cantrell received up to half the fees paid to Fromm's firm, Addiction and Family Care, under contracts with state and local courts and the sheriff's work-release program.

Times investigations indicated the firm won local government contracts worth more than $400,000 to provide counseling to minor offenders.

Lake Superior Court Judge Jesse Villalpando claimed last year that although he sent some minor offenders to Fromm's firm, Cantrell organized opposition to his re-election to pressure him to steer more business there. Cantrell denied the allegation. Villalpando couldn't be reached Thursday for comment.

Commissioners DuPey and Scheub said they voted to give Fromm's firm contracts, which eventually were worth more than $100,000, on the recommendation of the sheriff and Lake County Community Corrections, a joint effort by state and local officials to reduce prison overcrowding.

"(Cantrell) never approached me for anything for Nancy Fromm or anyone else," Scheub said. DuPey said Cantrell was never a political supporter of her campaigns.

Dominguez said he chose Fromm's firm to counsel offenders in his work-release center because he felt the business did a good job and would perform the work for $50,000 less than the previous counseling service.