Government may appeal Conour’s 10-year sentence
Federal prosecutors who argued for tougher punishment may appeal the 10-year sentence imposed in October for former attorney William Conour who pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud.
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JPMorgan enters into $13B settlement with states, federal government
JPMorgan has agreed to pay a record $13 billion to settle federal and state civil claims arising out of its packaging, selling, marketing and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Car ad not deceptive, but salesperson’s statements keep fraud claim alive
Car dealers, like many businesses, often “puff up” their advertisements to make their cars more attractive to potential buyers, and this puffery can’t be the basis of deception or fraud claims, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. But a woman’s fraud claim against an Indianapolis car dealer will continue.
Former Lake County clerk’s convictions upheld by 7th Circuit
Thomas R. Philpot, the former Lake County clerk convicted of taking more than $24,000 in federal funds earmarked for child support and using that money to pay himself bonuses, will not receive a new trial, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held this week.
10-year Conour sentence disappoints victims
Victims of disgraced wrongful-death and personal-injury attorney William Conour said his 10-year sentence imposed on a wire fraud charge – half the maximum he could have received – left them feeling victimized again.
Conour gets 10-year fraud sentence
Former attorney William Conour has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for defrauding more than 30 wrongful-death and personal-injury clients of close to $7 million.
Prosecution: Conour deserves 20 years; victim tally now nearly $7 million
The toll from fraud perpetrated by former wrongful-death and personal-injury attorney William Conour has increased significantly from earlier estimates, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday.
7th Circuit affirms above-guidelines sentence for embezzlement
A man’s 60-month sentence for stealing from his employer for many years – a sentence beyond the advisory guidelines range – is reasonable, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The man challenged the District Court’s recalculation of his guidelines range after he appealed his sentence.
Biofuels fraud cheated victims of $100M, feds say
Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday connected to a Henry County biofuel refinery as part of a massive tax and securities fraud investigation, saying the operation cheated victims out of more than $100 million.
Conour victims number 33, court filing reveals
A defense request for more time to object to a presentence investigation report discloses that the number of victims of former leading personal-injury attorney William Conour is 33, more than the number the government has previously alleged.
Failure to register in Indiana opens door for state charges against Ponzi scheme mastermind
A split Indiana Court of Appeals ruled a man at the center of an alleged Ponzi scheme that defrauded nearly 72 victims in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana will have to face state charges even though he pleaded guilty to a federal indictment.
Man who bilked banks of $10 million sentenced
A southern Indiana man who defrauded Indiana banks of more than $10 million by supplying bogus financial information from family members to obtain multi-million-dollar loans for real estate, an airplane and a yacht will spend five years in federal prison.
Past associations with Conour get lawyers named in civil suits
William Conour’s multi-million-dollar fraud has produced an avalanche of state and federal lawsuits naming as defendants several attorneys who used to work with the once-prominent personal-injury and wrongful-death attorney.
Judge accepts Conour plea; IU will use funds donated by ex-lawyer to help victims
Now that former high-profile personal-injury attorney William Conour has pleaded guilty to accusations that he defrauded dozens of clients of more than $4.5 million, his victims hope for some measure of restitution. At least a fraction of the loss will be covered by the law school to which Conour gave $450,000.
Conour enters guilty plea
Former leading personal-injury attorney William Conour has entered a guilty plea in his federal wire fraud case.
Evidence supports felony inmate fraud conviction
Finding that a defendant obtained a future interest in bail money as well as his release from prison – which constitute property under Indiana law – the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld Elnesto Ray Valle’s Class C felony inmate fraud conviction. Valle convinced a stranger to pay his bail.
Judges: Integration clause doesn’t preclude introduction of parol evidence
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals held Tuesday that in the absence of a factual inquiry, the mere presence of an integration clause doesn’t preclude a party from introducing parol evidence that it was fraudulently induced to enter into the agreement as a whole. The decision came in a dispute involving a settlement agreement that one party sought to invalidate based on claims of fraudulent inducement.
Judges order more proceedings in low-income apartment tax credit case
Because there are genuine issues of material fact regarding claims made against apartment management company Flaherty & Collins in a complaint alleging fraud and other charges dealing with renting apartments to people who did not qualify based on income requirements, the Indiana Court of Appeals ordered more proceedings on the case.
COA: Man knowingly pleaded guilty to fraud charge
A post-conviction court correctly denied relief to a man on his felony fraud conviction after determining that his felony failure to register conviction should be vacated, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled. Anthony McCullough pleaded guilty to the separate charges in one agreement.
More than half of Conour’s inventoried assets gone, feds say
About half the property that federal agents inventoried after former personal injury attorney William Conour was charged with wire fraud is missing from his home, and just 13 of 78 items at his former law office are still there, according to new government filings in his federal criminal case.