Former Lake County Sheriff Buncich to appeal corruption conviction
Chicago Tribune
January 29, 2018
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-john-buncich-appeal-st-0130-20180129-story.html
Former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich is readying to appeal his conviction on corruption charges.
Attorney Kerry Connor, who is representing Buncich, filed a notice of appeal Saturday in the Northern District of Indiana, saying an appeal of the former sheriff's conviction would be filed in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
Buncich, 72, was convicted for using his office to solicit bribes from tow operators, according to court records, and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Correction Center, a federal holding facility in Chicago, pending a transfer to another facility.
Judge James Moody sentenced Buncich to 15 years and eight months in federal prison after he was convicted of bribery and wire fraud during a 14-day trial in August.
Connor, a Highland-based attorney, did not return a call for comment Monday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office does not comment on pending cases.
Court documents filed ahead of the appeal did not indicate the substance of the former sheriff's arguments Buncich's attorney will make to the 7th Circuit.
Buncich, former Chief Timothy Downs and William Szarmach, of C.S.A. Towing, were named in a multicount indictment in November 2016 alleging a towing scheme where the sheriff accepted bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cash and donations to his campaign fund, Buncich Boosters, according to court records.
Downs pleaded guilty in December 2016, according to court documents, and Szarmach pleaded guilty in July 2017. Both agreed to testify against Buncich during his August trial.
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