04302019 - News Article - Judge delays public corruption sentencing for former Portage mayor






Judge delays public corruption sentencing for former Portage mayor
Chicago Tribune
April 30, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-post-trial-response-st-0501-story.html


The sentencing for the convicted former Portage mayor is being pushed three months as a federal judge weighs requests for acquittal or a new trial.

Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen on Monday pushed James Snyder’s May 24 sentencing to Sept. 24 “to allow time for the court to rule on the pending post-trial motions.” Since the end of Synder’s five-week trial, the defense has sought to show holes in the case that they say either warrant the judge throwing out the two guilty convictions or ordering a new trial, but prosecutors have said there was sufficient evidence to uphold the verdicts.

In February, a federal jury convicted Snyder of bribery and obstructing the IRS, bringing an end to his 19-day trial. Snyder was convicted of taking a $13,000 bribe in exchange for contracts to sell five garbage trucks to the city, and using a shell company to hide income and assets from the IRS while owning back personal and business taxes.

Prosecutors say that when Snyder ran for mayor in 2011, he told residents he planned to automate Portage’s trash pickup, but wound up steering contracts for $712,882.50 and another for $425,355 to Great Lakes Peterbilt, which was then owned by Robert and Steve Buha.

Once those contracts were awarded, Great Lakes Peterbilt paid Snyder $13,000.

Snyder claimed he did consulting work for the dealership, justifying the $13,000 payment.

A second count said that Snyder, while owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS, funneled income through a shell company and failed to disclose any of those assets to the IRS.

The defense argued that by not calling two men who paid Snyder $13,000, the jury did not get to hear a full telling of the events, according to court documents.

“The government could have presented evidence on that question by calling the Buhas, the only two people in the world (other than Mr. Snyder) who knew the answer,” Snyder’s attorney, Jackie Bennett, said, in court filings. “The government preferred the void to the truth, hoping the jury would speculate its way to a verdict.”

Snyder’s attorneys have said that the two former owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt could have testified but the prosecutors did not grant them immunity because they thought the two brothers would not testify truthfully.

“The government failed to show that the Buhas would commit perjury,” Bennett said, in a motion.

Snyder was not obligated to report he payment from Great Lakes Peterbilt in 2014, according to the defense, as that would be reported in 2015, reflecting the prior year. The defense said that the government was aware of the payment at that point and Snyder had told agents he did consulting work.

“A reasonable jury could infer that Snyder’s inconsistent claims about the type of the supposed consulting work he performed for GLPB demonstrated the corrupt nature of the arrangement,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster, in court filings.

Koster said the evidence showed that Snyder lied about the payment; lied about performing consulting work; and lied about his role in the awarding of the garbage truck bids.

“By proving Snyder’s lies, the government established his consciousness of guilt regarding his acceptance of the payment and his role in ensuring GLPB won the lucrative contracts,” Koster said.

The defense has aimed to show that the government’s case left a void for the jury.

“The government presented no communications that could plausibly be characterized as incrimination. Nor did it provide any witness testimony going to the intent of the central players in the case,” Bennett said in court filings. “Indeed, the government presented almost no relevant witness testimony at all. The government preferred to allow the jury to fill the voids in its evidence with speculation.”

On the tax charge, the defense has said that Snyder knew of his tax debt, wanted to settle it and made payments on both the personal and business tax liabilities.

Bennett said the government sought to show that Snyder misstated his income, but trial testimony showed that was false and the IRS never looked what a Portage mayor makes in annual salary.

“At trial, the government established that Snyder’s conduct consisted of a complicated, multi-year scheme in which he submitted numerous false documents, under oath, in an attempt to convince the IRS that he could not pay his business or personal income taxes, and, when that failed, that the IRS should forego collection efforts and allow him to make low-installment payments toward the amount he owed,” Koster said.

A jury found Snyder not guilty of allegedly soliciting a bribe to award two firms a city towing contract.

04302019 - News Article - UPDATE: Convicted former Portage mayor's sentencing postponed until September; Cortina's sentencing also pushed






UPDATE: Convicted former Portage mayor's sentencing postponed until September; Cortina's sentencing also pushed
NWI Times
April 30, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/update-convicted-former-portage-mayor-s-sentencing-postponed-until-september/article_61b2e3d0-16ed-5dfe-a6a2-b96e70a19121.html


HAMMOND — The sentencing for convicted former Portage Mayor James Snyder has been moved back to September. Sentencing for Snyder's former co-defendant, John Cortina, also has been pushed back to October.

A notice posted in U.S. Federal Court states Snyder's sentencing on public corruption convictions has been moved to 11 a.m. Sept. 24 "to allow time for the court to rule on pending post-trial motions."

Snyder's sentencing had been slated for May 24.

Sentencing for Cortina, Snyder's former co-defendant, has been re-set for 2 p.m. Oct. 1. Cortina's sentencing was initially scheduled for April 22, then pushed to June 7 to follow Snyder's sentencing. Cortina pleaded guilty to providing Snyder a bribe in a pay-for-tow allegation.

Snyder was convicted of two charges Feb. 14 following a 19-day trial. He was convicted on one court of bribery for accepting $13,000 from the former owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt in Portage in exchange for steering more than $1 million in contracts for garbage trucks toward the company.

He also was found guilty of one count of federal tax obstruction. The two counts carry a total of up to 13 years in prison. Snyder was acquitted on one count of bribery in an alleged pay-for-tow scheme.

His attorneys filed a motion for acquittal prior to the end of the trial and have filed a second motion asking that if U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen does not set aside the jury's verdict and acquit Snyder, he be granted a new trial.

Snyder contends there was prosecutorial misconduct involving threats to witnesses. He also claims prosecutors didn't have enough evidence in some instances and expected jurors to fill in the gaps with speculation, and several legal errors were made because prosecutors were wrong about state, municipal, corporate and insurance law. 

The postponing of Snyder's sentencing also may affect that of his brother, Jon Snyder.

Jon Snyder's sentencing also was recently pushed back to June 4 from April at the request of both his attorney and federal prosecutors to move his sentence to shortly after his brother's. Jon Snyder, Porter County assessor, testified as a government witness during his brother's trial in exchange for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor federal tax charge in an unrelated case.

04292019 - News Article - After Republican ousted from office due to corruption conviction, 4 Democrats seek to be Portage mayor






After Republican ousted from office due to corruption conviction, 4 Democrats seek to be Portage mayor
Post Tribune
April 29, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-dem-mayor-preview-st-0429-story.html

Portage residents will end up with three mayors, and possibly a fourth, over 2019-20, but local leaders said they hope for stability and better communication from the next mayor by the time the political dust settles.

The tumultuous political year for Portage began with Republican Mayor James Snyder being removed from office by state statute after being convicted on two federal corruption charges in February. He was followed in the mayor’s office by Councilwoman Sue Lynch, D-At large, who was city council president and according to Indiana law, became the next mayor until a Republican caucus was held to name the mayor that would fill in for the remainder of this year.

Former Councilman John Cannon, R- 4th, moved into the City Hall office after being selected by the city’s Republican precinct organization in the caucus.

If Cannon, who is unopposed in the May 7 primary, beats his Democratic challenger in the November general election, he will be the city's third mayor in one year. If he loses, the Democratic winner will Portage's fourth mayor over 2019-20, after being sworn in in January.

Cannon will either face Lynch, who entered the race for the Democratic nomination along with Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, businessman Leo Hatch Jr., owner of Portage Real Estate, and Andy Maletta, Portage's economic development director and son of former Mayor Sammie Maletta.

Even with the top government job at stake, a number of local leaders declined to comment on the race, including Porter County Democratic Chairman Jeff Chidester and Portage Township Schools Superintendent Amanda Alaniz, neither of whom returned repeated calls for comment.

Porter County Republican Chairman Mike Simpson, who called the caucus that voted in Cannon as mayor for the rest of this year, was not shy about the mayor's race, though he said party politics may not be as prominent in the local races is they are in county, state and federal races.

“(Portage) residents are thinking about selecting a leader that will continue the dynamic growth and improvement they've seen in Portage,” Simpson said, throwing in a plug for Cannon. “It's always been less about party and more about what local people, the residents who've been there for a long time and are engaged in the city, want to see, which is to move the city forward.”

Mark Oprisko, D-At large, the longest serving city council member, said the next mayor must be a good listener who can continue the forward progress the city has been making, but, political party still matters, he said.

“I think you have to have a mayor who is a strong manager and who works with the (city) council,” said Oprisko, who is running to hold his seat on the council. “Even with the troubles we had with Snyder, you've had people who have moved the city forward, but, people still tend to focus more on party, especially at the local level in the primaries.

“People remember what party leaders do.”

Councilman Scott Williams, D-3rd, who is unopposed in May's primary, called for the next mayor to be transparent, honest and visionary.

“People want to know when information is being communicated to them, it's true and straightforward,” Williams said. “The mayor also needs to be visionary and needs to be a good listener. They can't go in with all the answers.”

04222019 - News Article - Convicted former mayor contends prosecutors' improper conducted scared witnesses






Convicted former mayor contends prosecutors' improper conducted scared witnesses
NWI Times
April 22, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/convicted-former-mayor-contends-prosecutors-improper-conducted-scared-witnesses/article_cbc73cfa-56ec-5ac7-9141-ccc9c2b912a0.html2019


HAMMOND — Convicted Portage mayor James Snyder is claiming prosecutors played games with two potential witnesses, scaring them from taking the witness stand on his behalf.

In the latest filing in U.S. District Court over the weekend, Snyder's defense team contends Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster's statement "The government does not believe that they have been truthful," regarding Steve and Bob Buha's grand jury testimony was enough to scare them off from testifying at trial.

The brothers owned Great Lakes Peterbilt. Snyder was convicted of taking a $13,000 bribe from the brothers in exchange for steering more than $1 million in garbage truck bids to them.

"When a friend tells you that you are untruthful, you blush. If a spouse says it, you prepare an apology. But when a federal prosecutor says, 'I believe your story is untruthful,' it has an inescapable import. That statement is no different than saying, 'If you repeat the story I heard you say before, you are committing a felony punishable by up to five years in prison'," reads Snyder's latest reply to the government's response in his motions for the judge to either set aside the jury's verdict and acquit him or grant him a new trial.

Koster's statement, Snyder's defense team wrote, caused the Buhas to take the Fifth Amendment. Had the brothers testified, they contend, they would have told the truth.

"The reasons that did not happen lie entirely with the government. Mr. Snyder did everything he could have to get the Buhas into the trial. The government could have easily made it happen. It did not happen because the government wanted it that way," reads the document.

Snyder was convicted Feb. 14 after a 19-day trial. In addition to the bribery charge, he was found guilty on federal tax obstruction. He was acquitted on a pay for tow bribery charge. His sentencing is set for May 24.

In addition, the document contends prosecutors didn't have enough evidence in some instances and expected jurors to fill in the gaps with speculation. It also contends several legal errors were made because prosecutors were wrong about state municipal, corporate and insurance law. 

04152019 - News Article - Mayor sought bribes to fund Christmas presents, pay tax debt, prosecutors allege






Mayor sought bribes to fund Christmas presents, pay tax debt, prosecutors allege
NWI Times
April 15, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/mayor-sought-bribes-to-fund-christmas-presents-pay-tax-debt/article_1cb77f5b-8ece-5c7a-8b99-f95b3b1b4cd6.html


HAMMOND — Convicted former Portage Mayor James Snyder solicited a bribe from local truck company owners to pay for his family's Christmas and his tax debt, recently filed court documents allege.

Federal prosecutors filed the allegation in response to Snyder's request for a new trial.

Snyder was removed from office in February after a Hammond federal jury found him guilty of felony bribery and tax charges.

Prosecutors noted they based the recent filing on the grand jury testimony by former owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt, Steve and Bob Buha.

"The Buhas painted themselves as victims of a shakedown by Snyder — one they claimed to be unconnected to their company’s receipt of over $1.125 million in contracts from Portage just days earlier," the filing states.

"According to the Buhas, sometime after they were awarded the second round contract (Dec. 23, 2013) and approximately a week before they wrote the $13,000 check to Snyder (Jan. 10, 2014), Snyder showed up unannounced at GLPB and told them he needed $15,000 to pay for his family’s Christmas and tax debt he owed the IRS. And although he said he would work for the money, he needed it up front," prosecutors wrote in the filing.

Snyder, who was convicted Feb. 14 of taking $13,000 from the Buhas in exchange for steering contracts to them, has filed motions asking the courts to set aside the jury's verdict or have a new trial.

Snyder also was convicted of tax obstruction for filing false documents and lying to the IRS in an effort to avoid paying personal and business taxes.

He was acquitted of a second bribery charge regarding an alleged tow-for-pay scheme.

Snyder is scheduled to be sentenced May 24 and faces up to 13 years in prison.

Snyder's former co-conspirator, towing company owner John Cortina, who pleaded guilty in the tow-for-pay scheme, is scheduled to be sentenced June 7.

Snyder's brother, Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder, who testified against James Snyder in the 19-day trial, pleaded guilty in federal court on an unrelated tax charge. Jon Snyder's sentencing is slated for June 4.

James Snyder requested a new trial contending prosecutors acted inappropriately, especially in the charge involving the Buhas. He contended prosecutors prevented the Buhas from testifying on Snyder's behalf.

Prosecutors refute those allegations in the recent court filing.

04122019 - News Article - Feds say convicted ex-Portage mayor's claims about lack of evidence is a 'red herring'








Feds say convicted ex-Portage mayor's claims about lack of evidence is a 'red herring'
Chicago Tribune
April 12, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-prosecutor-response-st-0413-story.html


Prosecutors say that the conviction of a former Portage mayor should stand, and arguments to justify acquittal are a “red herring.”

Federal prosecutors on Friday filed a 48-page response to James Snyder’s post-trial motions that sought to have Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen acquit to former mayor or order a new trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster said despite Snyder’s claim, prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to convict the former mayor.

Koster pushed back against claims that prosecutors only presented circumstantial evidence against Snyder.

“Snyder takes aim at the government’s reliance upon circumstantial evidence to prove that he acted with corrupt intent,” Koster said, in court filings. “This is a red herring.”

During Snyder’s five-week trial, the defense asked the judge to acquit the former mayor and filed a supplemental motion.

In February, a federal jury convicted Snyder of bribery and obstructing the IRS, bringing an end to his 19-day trial. Snyder was convicted of taking a $13,000 bribe in exchange for contracts to sell five garbage trucks to the city and using a shell company to hide income and assets from the IRS while owning back personal and business taxes.

Prosecutors say that when Snyder ran for mayor in 2011, he told residents he planned to automate Portage’s trash pickup, but wound up steering contracts for $712,882.50 and another for $425,355 to Great Lakes Peterbilt, which was then owned by Robert and Steve Buha.

Once those contracts were awarded, Great Lakes Peterbilt paid Snyder $13,000.

Snyder claimed he did consulting work for the dealership, justifying the $13,000 payment. Koster refuted that claim showing that Snyder changed his story about the nature of the consulting work, could not provide any proof of work performed, did not have the experience to do consulting work.

“A reasonable jury could infer that Snyder’s inconsistent claims about the type of the supposed consulting work he performed for (Great Lakes Peterbilt) demonstrated the corrupt nature of the arrangement,” Koster said.

Koster said the evidence showed that Snyder lied about the payment; lied about performing consulting work; and lied about his role in the awarding of the garbage truck bids.

“By proving Snyder’s lies, the government established his consciousness of guilt regarding his acceptance of the payment and his role in ensuring (Great Lakes Peterbilt) won the lucrative contracts,” Koster said.

A second count said that Snyder, while owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS, funneled income through a shell company, and failed to disclose any of those assets to the IRS.

“At trial, the government established that Snyder’s conduct consisted of a complicated, multi-year scheme in which he submitted numerous false documents, under oath, in an attempt to convince the IRS that he could not pay his business or personal income taxes, and, when that failed, that the IRS should forgo collection efforts and allow him to make low-installment payments toward the amount he owed,” Koster said.

A jury found Snyder not guilty of allegedly soliciting a bribe to award two firms a city towing contract.

04122019 - News Article - Prosecutors: Convicted Portage mayor showed 'consciousness of guilt in telling lies






Prosecutors: Convicted Portage mayor showed 'consciousness of guilt in telling lies
NWI Times
April 12, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/prosecutors-convicted-portage-mayor-showed-consciousness-of-guilt-in-telling/article_0df03c50-0ed7-5e88-96fd-7d771b163786.html


HAMMOND — Former Portage Mayor James Snyder's continuous lies to law enforcement and investigators are enough to prove his guilt, according to filings from federal prosecutors Friday.

According to a document filed in U.S. District Court, the government established his "consciousness of guilt" through that series of lies about him accepting a bribe from former Great Lakes Peterbilt owners.

Federal prosecutors filed a response to Snyder's motion asking U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to overturn the jury's Feb. 14 conviction, citing a lack of evidence in the case. It was one of two responses expected to be filed by prosecutors Friday.

Snyder, who was in his second term as mayor, was convicted Feb. 14 on one count of bribery involving bids for city garbage trucks as well as one count of federal tax obstruction. He was acquitted on a second bribery count alleging a pay-for-tow scheme. He was removed from elected office upon his conviction. He is facing a May 24 sentencing and could receive up to 13 years in prison.

Snyder's defense team filed a motion to reverse the jury's verdict prior to the end of the trial. In lieu of Van Bokkelen overturning the verdict, Snyder asked for a second trial, citing alleged errors and misconduct by federal prosecutors. The prosecutor's response to the motion for a second trial was also due Friday, but had not been filed as of 4:30 p.m. Friday.

In the government's 48-page response to the request for an acquittal, prosecutors outlined evidence they presented during the 19-day trial. 

In regard to the garbage truck bribery count, prosecutors said they provided sufficient evidence to show Snyder steered the $1 million in garbage truck bids to Steve and Bob Buha, former owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt, in exchange for a $13,000 payment. Snyder alleged the money was for health care and IT consulting services.

Both the Buhas and Snyder "badly needed money," prosecutors said in documents.

"The evidence presented at trial showed Snyder’s figurative fingerprints all over the garbage truck bid process," prosecutors said. "Much of the evidence proved that Snyder lied repeatedly to law enforcement when confronted about the $13,000 payment."

Prosecutors also refuted Snyder's claims of insufficient evidence to convict him in the federal tax obstruction charge, saying prosecutors proved he had filed false documents in the scheme to avoid paying the IRS back payroll taxes for his business and personal income taxes.

"Three years of providing false information while withholding critical financial data and funneling money to the very company Snyder failed to disclose to the IRS, was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Snyder 'acted corruptly, that is, with the purpose to obtain an unlawful benefit for himself or someone else'," prosecutors wrote.

04112019 - News Article - Porter County assessor's family confronts home intruder, draws gun in self-protection, police say






Porter County assessor's family confronts home intruder, draws gun in self-protection, police say
NWI Times
April 11, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/porter-county-assessor-s-family-confronts-home-intruder-draws-gun/article_07960ca0-1b49-5b5e-a34b-732f88f96028.html#1


PORTAGE — A 30-year-old Pennsylvania man was taken in for a hospital evaluation Thursday morning after allegedly wandering into the home of the Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder, according to police.

The man unexpectedly entered the home in the 2100 block of McCool Road at 8:44 a.m. after Snyder had left for work and was confronted by Snyder's wife and children, Police Chief Troy Williams said

Snyder said his wife screamed at the man, and the family drew a gun in self-protection. The alleged intrusion was caught on the home's video surveillance system, he said.

The suspect left the home on his own and walked to the front door of a nearby residence, where he allegedly asked for help and then took off his shirt, Williams said. He did not enter the residence.

Police caught up with the suspect a few blocks away in his vehicle on Superior Street, Williams said.

Potential criminal charges are under review, he said.

"I am very thankful that my family is safe," Snyder said, "actually most thankful."

04112019 - News Article - Former Portage mayor says court ruling bolsters aquittal efforts






Former Portage mayor says court ruling bolsters aquittal efforts
Chicago Tribune
April 11, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-supplemental-motion-st-0412-story.html


Attorneys for Portage’s convicted former mayor are saying a recent court ruling that threw out a conviction based on “opinion testimony” should support their motion for acquittal.

James Snyder’s attorneys are citing a recent 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision bolsters the former mayor’s case for Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to acquit him of bribery and obstruction the IRS convictions.

Snyder’s attorney referenced the appeals court’s ruling in the case of Andres Garcia, who was convicted of distributing cocaine, citing a lack of witness testimony that tied him to the alleged crime. The court said the case against Garcia instead “the government secured this verdict based upon a federal agent’s opinion testimony” that interpreted intercepted phone calls.

The 7th Circuit vacated Garcia’s conviction.

“The government presented no communications that could plausibly be characterized as incrimination. Nor did it provide any witness testimony going to the intent of the central players in the case,” Bennett said, in court filings. “Indeed, the government presented almost no relevant witness testimony at all. The government preferred to allow the jury to fill the voids in its evidence with speculation.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is expected to file a response to Snyder’s post-trial motions April 12.

In February, a federal jury convicted Snyder of bribery and obstructing the IRS, bringing an end to his 19-day trial. Snyder was convicted of taking a $13,000 bribe in exchange for contracts to sell five garbage trucks to the city, and using a shell company to hide income and assets from the IRS while owning back personal and business taxes.

Prosecutors say that when Snyder ran for mayor in 2011, he told residents he planned to automate Portage’s trash pickup, but wound up steering contracts for $712,882.50 and another for $425,355 to Great Lakes Peterbilt, which was then owned by Robert and Steve Buha.

Once those contracts were awarded, Great Lakes Peterbilt paid Snyder $13,000.

A second count said that Snyder, while owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS, funneled income through a shell company and failed to disclose any of those assets to the IRS.

A jury found Snyder not guilty of allegedly soliciting a bribe to award two firms a city towing contract.

The defense argued that by not calling two men who paid Snyder $13,000, for what Snyder said was consulting services, after a deal to sell Portage garbage trucks, the jury did not get to hear a full telling of the events, according to court documents.

04112019 - News Article - Intruder from Pennsylvania found at Porter County assessor's home, police say







Intruder from Pennsylvania found at Porter County assessor's home, police say
Chicago Tribune
April 11, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-intruder-snyder-st-0412-story.html

Portage police took a Pennsylvania man to a local hospital to be evaluated after he entered the home of Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder Thursday morning while his wife and children were home.

The incident occurred around 8:45 a.m. Thursday at Snyder’s home in the 2100 block of McCool Road, Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said.

“We don’t know how he got here,” Williams said of the man, 30, adding officials are reviewing whether charges will be filed against him.

Snyder said he had already left for work when the man entered his home, and he’s thankful the intruder didn’t have a weapon.

“After letting it sink in for a few minutes, I’m just thankful everybody’s safe because it could have been a lot worse,” he said.

Once the intruder entered the home, Williams said, Snyder’s wife grabbed a gun to protect herself. “She didn’t know what was going on,” he added.

The man fled to a home a couple doors down and knocked on a neighbor’s door, saying he needed help before taking his shirt off and running to the neighbor’s back yard.

Police found him a few blocks away in his car on Superior Street, Williams said, adding the incident was random.

“You don’t expect something like that to happen as a homeowner or a resident,” he said.

04042019 - News Article - Convicted Portage mayor continues plea for new trial






Convicted Portage mayor continues plea for new trial
Kokomo Perspective
April 04, 2019
http://kokomoperspective.com/politics/indiana/convicted-portage-mayor-continues-plea-for-new-trial/article_c79c9220-86cf-57da-a03b-1363d65d7e23.html


HAMMOND — Convicted former Portage Mayor James Snyder continues to plead his case for a new trial.

In a 12-page filing in U.S. District Court submitted late Wednesday, Snyder's defense team outlines reasons they believe there were errors and misconduct committed by federal prosecutors.

Snyder, who was in his second term as mayor, was convicted Feb. 14 on one count of bribery involving bids for city garbage trucks as well as one count of federal tax obstruction. He was acquitted on a second bribery count alleging a pay-for-tow scheme. He was removed from elected office upon his conviction.

He is scheduled to be sentenced May 24 but has filed motions asking that either the jury's verdict be overturned or he be granted a new trial. Federal prosecutors have until April 12 to answer Snyder's allegations.

In the newest filing, Snyder's defense team contends while "the government collected a colossal amount of information" during the investigation, less than 1% of the information had any relevance to the case. The amount of information, according to the defense team, forced them to focus on irrelevant matters.

They also contend much of the discovery was produced late, even into the middle of the trial, which hampered the defense's efforts to fully review the materials.

Snyder also contends the trial's length itself caused an inherent unfairness. Citing another court opinion which says trials lasting 20 days tend to confuse jurors and favor the prosecution, Snyder's attorneys assert prosecutors dragged on the trial using more witnesses than necessary. The filing compares Snyder's trial to that of former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, saying the former sheriff was charged with 10 bribery counts instead of two, included a co-defendant and had more audio and video recordings, but the proceedings concluded in 14 days. Snyder's trial lasted 19 days.

The filing also contends prosecutors acted improperly by alleging a project on Willowcreek Road was involved in one of the bribery counts, but waited until the trial's end to strike the allegation; that the trial was unfair because a prosecutor inappropriately told jurors Snyder's former co-defendant John Cortina had pleaded the Fifth Amendment; that evidence was improperly introduced in one of the bribery charges; and that prosecutors misrepresented its proposed set of jury instructions to lead the defense team astray.

"Any one of the above errors or those mentioned in docket entries 262 and 263, standing alone, is sufficiently prejudicial to warrant a new trial. But even if these individual errors, in isolation, do not rise to the level of prejudice, the cumulative effect of the multiple errors unfairly prejudiced Mr. Snyder, and a new trial should be ordered," the filing concludes.

04042019 - News Article - Convicted ex-Portage mayor continues push for new trial






Convicted ex-Portage mayor continues push for new trial
Chicago Tribune
April 04, 2019
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-motion-new-trial-st-0405-story.html


Convicted former Portage Mayor James Snyder is again appealing to a federal judge to order a new trial if two guilty verdicts should stand.

Snyder’s defense attorneys filed a motion Wednesday asking that if Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen doesn’t acquit the former mayor of bribery and obstructing the IRS, he should order a new trial. Snyder’s attorneys cited perceived errors, including discovery issues, length of the trial and alleged prosecutorial misconduct, that warrant a new trial.

Defense attorney Jackie Bennett Jr. said of all the discovery materials prosecutors provided, only 1 percent of that was relevant to the case, but caused the defense “to search through a titanic amount of information to prepare his defense.”

“Now that the 1 percent of documents relevant to the case has been made clear, the interests of justice would be served by requiring a new trial in which the parties can focus on those documents,” Bennett said.

Bennett accused Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson of misconduct for commenting to the jury that a potential witness had invoked their 5th Amendment right not to testify. Bennett said “that comment – made after the evidence had closed – was completely inappropriate.”

In February, a federal jury convicted Snyder of bribery and obstructing the IRS, bringing an end to his 19-day trial. Snyder was convicted of taking a $13,000 bribe in exchange for contracts to sell five garbage trucks to the city, and using a shell company to hide income and assets from the IRS while owning back personal and business taxes.

Prosecutors say that when Snyder ran for mayor in 2011, he told residents he planned to automate Portage’s trash pickup, but wound up steering contracts for $712,882.50 and another for $425,355 to Great Lakes Peterbilt, which was then owned by Robert and Steve Buha.

Once those contracts were awarded, Great Lakes Peterbilt paid Snyder $13,000.

A second count said that Snyder, while owing tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS, funneled income through a shell company, and failed to disclose any of those assets to the IRS.

A jury found Snyder not guilty of allegedly soliciting a bribe to award two firms a city towing contract.

Van Bokkelen in March gave federal prosecutors an additional two weeks to respond to the former mayor’s motion for acquittal and request for a new trial, over the objection of Snyder’s defense.

Snyder’s defense attorneys filed a request for a new trial and made a renewed push for a judge to acquit the former mayor of bribery and obstructing the IRS. The defense argued that by not calling two men who paid Snyder $13,000 for what Snyder said was consulting services, after a deal to sell Portage garbage trucks, the jury did not get to hear a full telling of the events, according to court documents.

08132023 - News Article - Former Portage Mayor James Snyder asks US Supreme Court to consider his case

  Former Portage Mayor James Snyder asks US Supreme Court to consider his case Chicago Tribune  Aug 13, 2023 https://www.chicagotribune.com/...