Tow operator in corruption case released
Post-Tribune
December 06, 2016
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-smarzach-gets-bond-st-1207-20161206-story.html
A tow truck operator allegedly involved in a corruption investigation in Lake County was released on bail Monday.
William Szarmach, of CSA Towing in Lake Station, was released on $300,000 bond after having remained in detention since Nov. 18 – the day U.S. Attorney David Capp announced a string of indictments against Szarmach, Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and Lake County Chief of Police Timothy Downs that alleged the three were involved in a scheme where money was accepted by law enforcement officials to bolster towing calls for certain operators.
Daniel Purdom, Szarmach's attorney, argued in a motion that the tow operator is able to post his personal property for the bond and is not a flight risk. Purdom said, in court documents, those assurances should assuage federal prosecutors.
Buncich, Downs and Szarmach are named in a multicount 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.
Buncich, whose department was in charge of deciding which companies were called for towing services, and Downs 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.
Buncich, Downs and Szarmach all pleaded not guilty to the charges during their initial appearances.
Both Buncich and Downs were released on $20,000 bail, according to court records.
All three are set for trial Jan. 17, according to court records. Pretrial motions in the case are due Dec. 16 for Buncich and Downs and Dec. 20 for Szarmach, according to court records, with all three set for final pre-trial conferences on Jan. 6.
The Lake County indictments came at the same time as those for Portage Mayor James Snyder and John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage.
Snyder and Cortina, named in a separate indictment, were charged with bribery.
Capp said Snyder allegedly 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 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 and Cortina are set for trial Jan. 23, court records show. Pretrial motions are due on Dec. 16, according to court records, and a final pretrial conference is set for Jan. 13.
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