Articles

Hendricks Judge Freese faces discipline charges

A Hendricks County judge and former leader of the Indiana Judges Association is facing disciplinary charges stemming from allegations that he appointed a friend as trustee of an estate case, then failed to take prompt action upon learning that the man was not fulfilling his duties and was possibly stealing from the trust.

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Prosecutors concede 3 Buncich convictions should be vacated

Federal prosecutors concede there wasn’t enough evidence to convict former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich on three of the five wire fraud counts he was found guilty of and he should be resentenced. Prosecutors say they failed to introduce sufficient evidence of “Federal reserve payroll fund” transfers alleged in three counts of the indictment against Buncich and “the Court should vacate Buncich’s convictions on those counts.”

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Indiana lawyer charged with fraud in alleged investment scheme

A lawyer who formerly worked in northern Indiana and already was ordered to repay more than $2.5 million to clients now is facing criminal charges. Federal prosecutors say 61-year-old Sven Eric Marshall, formerly of South Bend, is facing five counts of mail fraud for allegedly running an “elder abuse scam” through an investment company named Trust & Advisory Services of Indiana Inc.

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Convicted forger, ID thief loses appeal of suit against victims

The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the grant of summary judgment to several relatives and the landlord of man convicted of stealing and frequently using his parents' financial accounts and personal items to fund his gambling. The COA found the relatives were entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

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Mueller accuses Manafort of breaking plea agreement by lying

The special counsel in the Russia investigation is accusing former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of violating his plea agreement by repeatedly lying to federal investigators, an extraordinary allegation that could expose him to a lengthier prison sentence — and potentially more criminal charges.

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COA upholds dismissal of adoption petition after ‘fraud on the court’

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a trial court ruling setting aside a Lawrence County adoption, finding the child’s mother and grandfather committed fraud on the court by falsely claiming they did not know who the child’s biological father was in an effort to allow the grandfather to adopt the child.

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COA affirms breach, fraud, unjust enrichment claims brought by bank

A bank that brought breach of contract, fraud and unjust enrichment claims against its loanee won each of those claims on appeal, but failed to state a claim that the loanee violated the “usual and customary practices” laid out in its participation agreement, according to a Friday opinion from the Indiana Court of Appeals.

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Southern District renews warning against jury duty scam

Increasing jury duty scams have led the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana to once again warn Hoosiers of potentially falling prey to an illegitimate summons. The court is reminding the public of tips to safeguard against scammers.

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