Articles

Bookkeeper pleads guilty to defrauding employer of over $315,000

An Indianapolis woman has agreed to plead guilty to fraud in what prosecutors say was a scheme that over two years nearly bankrupted her employer. The plea was announced Friday by U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler of the Southern District of Indiana, who said Erica Howard, 30, siphoned funds from a family-owned construction company in Franklin.

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Appellate court orders dismissal of widow’s tort claims

A widow who sued her husband’s employer for various breach and fraud allegations will not be able to continue her case after the Indiana Court of Appeals instructed the trial court to dismiss her claims on remand for failure to comply with the Indiana Tort Claims Act.

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Pharmacist in meningitis outbreak gets 8 years in prison

A Massachusetts pharmacist convicted for his role in a deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak fought through sobs as he apologized to victims and their families Wednesday, including those in Indiana, before being sentenced to eight years in prison.

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Judge declines recusal in fraudster Durham’s case

Indiana Southern District Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson has denied a motion for her recusal in a civil case against convicted fraudster Tim Durham, determining her relationships with leaders of Indiana’s Democratic Party did not create the appearance of or actual bias.

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COA reinstates fraud, bad faith suit against State Farm

A fraud suit against State Farm Insurance brought by one of its insured will continue in trial court after the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday there were genuine issues of material fact precluding the grant of summary judgment to the insurer.

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Two ex-nursing home execs to plead guilty in kickback scheme

Two former executives with a company that operates dozens of Indiana nursing homes have agreed to plead guilty in a kickback scheme involving millions of dollars. Court documents unsealed this week show that former American Senior Communities CEO James Burkhart and former Chief Operating Officer Daniel Benson, both 52, have reached plea deals.

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Roy Moore sues to block Alabama Senate result

Failed candidate Roy Moore has doubled down on his claims of voter irregularities in Alabama’s U.S. Senate race in a last-ditch effort to stop the certification of the Democratic opponent who pulled off a historic upset last month in a traditionally deep-red state.

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COA: Charter school suit requires tort claim notice

An Indiana trial court properly granted summary judgment in favor of a charter school organizer under the Indiana Tort Claims Act because an organizer and charter school jointly make up the statutory definition of a “charter school,” the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The appellate panel also upheld the constitutionality of classifying a charter school as a “governmental entity.”

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Court upholds Indianapolis Land Bank fraud convictions

Two men convicted in an elaborate fraud scheme involving the Indianapolis Land Bank have lost their federal appeal, with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Friday there was sufficient evidence to support their multiple fraud convictions.

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