05082009 - News Article - Cantrell to do prison time in Kentucky - ROBERT CANTRELL

Cantrell to do prison time in Kentucky
NWI Times
May 8, 2009
nwitimes.com/news/local/cantrell-to-do-prison-time-in-kentucky/article_46497198-0ca1-5e2d-885b-1657be7d4b3a.html
HAMMOND | Lake County politico Robert Cantrell has until Wednesday to surrender to a Kentucky prison -- not the Wisconsin prison he wanted -- and a federal judge showed no sympathy for Cantrell's request for two more weeks to prepare for jail.

Cantrell, 67, of Schererville, has until 2 p.m. Wednesday to report to the low-security prison near Ashland, Ky. to serve 6 1/2 years for his federal fraud convictions. The prison sits at Kentucky's tri-state border with West Virginia and Ohio, about 200 miles further from Northwest Indiana than Cantrell's preferred prison in Oxford, Wis.

Defense lawyer Kevin Milner filed a motion Thursday in Hammond federal court asking Senior Judge Rudy Lozano to give Cantrell as much as 14 more days to report. Cantrell wanted more time to "clean up his affairs" because his family will have more trouble visiting him, Milner wrote.

Lozano denied that request Friday afternoon. Lozano's ruling gave no explanation of his decision.

Milner drew stifled guffaws from the gallery at Cantrell's sentencing March 31 in Hammond federal court when he requested Oxford because Cantrell has "casual acquaintances" at the prison camp, a popular destination for local public servants serving corruption convictions. Lozano did not agree to recommend Oxford, but he said he would recommend that Cantrell go to a prison near Chicago.

Milner wrote in his motion that Cantrell's family had hoped to carpool to Oxford with the family of another convict.

"That option will not be available now," Milner wrote.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Orest Szewciw filed a memorandum asking Lozano to reject Milner's request.

"The 11 months since the guilty verdict and the 43 days given by the court at sentencing to self-report have been more than ample for the defendant to get his (unspecified) personal affairs in order," Szewciw wrote.

Bureau of Prisons officials consider judges' recommendations along with other factors, said Felicia Ponce, BOP spokeswoman. Bureau officials try to put prisoners close to home, she said.

Cantrell was convicted June 6 of four counts of depriving the public of honest services, three counts of insurance fraud using the U.S. mail and four counts of filing false tax returns between 2000 and 2003. The indictment accused him of taking cash kickbacks from a contract between his then-employer, the North Township trustee's office, and a political ally's company.

Milner has appealed the verdict.