January trials set for Lake, Porter officials
Chicago Tribune
November 21, 2016
A federal judge tentatively set January trial dates for the Lake and Porter county officials indicted Friday on a series of public corruption charges.
Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, chief of police Timothy Downs and William Szarmach, of CSA Towing in Lake Station, are tentatively set for trial on Jan. 17, according to court records. Portage Mayor James Snyder and John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, are tentatively set for trial on Jan. 23, court records show.
Buncich, Downs, Szarmach, Snyder and Cortina all pleaded not guilty during their initial appearances Friday.
Buncich, Downs and Szarmach are named in a multi-count indictment alleging an illegal towing scheme in which the sheriff accepted bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cash and donations to his campaign fund, Buncich's Boosters, according to court records. All three are facing charges of wire fraud, while Buncich and Szarmach also are charged with bribery.
The sheriff, whose department was in charge of deciding which companies were called for towing services, and the chief allegedly steered business toward towing operators in exchange for cash and checks, the U.S. attorney alleged in a 14-page indictment. Buncich allegedly took more than $25,000 in cash bribes and $7,000 in checks from Szarmach and another towing operator identified as "Individual A," according to the indictment.
Paul Stracci, of Stracci Criminal Defense, who is representing Buncich, had no comment on the tentative scheduling of the trial.
Snyder and Cortina, named in a separate indictment, were charged with bribery. Capp said the mayor solicited money from Cortina and "Individual A" and gave them a towing contract for Portage.
Snyder allegedly accepted $13,000 in connection with a Board of Works contract and obstructed tax laws for by impeding the government's collection of personal taxes he owed and payroll taxes owed by his mortgage business, First Financial Trust Mortgage LLC.
Snyder declined to comment after his hearing, but his lead attorney, Thomas Kirsch, of the law firm Winston and Strawn, said they were surprised by the indictment, "particularly so because these charges are meritless."
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