Testimony in Cantrell case helps Fromm avoid jail time
NWI Times
Jun 26, 2009
nwitimes.com/news/local/testimony-in-cantrell-case-helps-fromm-avoid-jail-time/article_ff340ef8-a5af-570a-b9da-bfc849f82ff9.html
HAMMOND | Nancy Fromm's testimony helped send Democratic fixer Robert Cantrell to prison, but the truth -- as decided by jurors -- set Fromm free.
Hammond federal Senior Judge Rudy Lozano sentenced Fromm, an addiction counseling contractor and Cantrell's one-time co-worker, to two years probation Thursday. Lozano sentenced Fromm to spend the first six months of those two years on home arrest with work-release privileges.
Fromm, 68, was spared jail time for her tax evasion and obstruction of justice convictions because she helped with the Cantrell prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Orest Szewciw filed a motion asking Lozano to give Fromm a more lenient sentence than the 18 to 24 months in prison suggested in federal sentencing guidelines.
"(Fromm's help) led to his conviction," Szewciw said.
"I think it's fair to say she's the only one who could tell the whole story," Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Ault said.
Fromm's counseling business, Addiction and Family Care, stood at the center of the investigation into Cantrell. Fromm pleaded guilty in March 2007, admitting she illegally hid business profits from a grand jury and under-reported her personal income in 2003.
Cantrell was indicted days after Fromm pleaded guilty. Cantrell was accused of taking cash kickbacks from a contract between his employer, the North Township trustee's office, and Fromm. He failed to disclose financial interest in the contract, as required by state law, prosecutors said. Fromm helped prosecutors convince a jury to convict Cantrell of 11 fraud counts.
Cantrell now is serving a 6 1/2-year sentence in a Kentucky federal prison.
Fromm said Thursday she was "smitten by the elixir of cash."
"I began to do whatever Bobby wanted," Fromm said, telling Lozano she is ashamed.
"Who wants a grandmother who's a felon?" Fromm asked.
Fromm's lawyer, J. Michael Katz, said Fromm faced "extreme pressure" to not cooperate with federal prosecutors. Katz said he was impressed she didn't buckle under pressure to stay quiet.
"I'd characterize her response as a brave response," Katz said.
According to Katz, Fromm continues to run her counseling business with private clients. He said Fromm knew cooperating was right, but she is sad Cantrell has been jailed.
"She takes no joy in the fact that he's incarcerated," Katz said.
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