Articles

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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NW Indiana scrap dealer convicted of razing historic bridge

A federal jury has convicted a northwestern Indiana scrap-metal dealer of interstate transportation of stolen goods for allegedly demolishing a historic railroad bridge and selling the metal. Prosecutors said Kenneth Morrison and a work crew cut up the unused Monon Bridge that spanned the Grand Calumet River near downtown Hammond and sold it to Illinois scrapyards for $18,000. He also allegedly sold parts to an East Chicago scrap dealer.

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Lake County last to adopt e-filing in 2018

Lake County has officially adopted electronic filing, making it the last county that will roll out e-filing this year. That leaves seven counties left to implement e-filing, three of which have yet to deploy the Odyssey electronic case management system. 

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Group seeks 2nd hearing on tainted East Chicago site’s cleanup

East Chicago community group is asking for a second public hearing on the proposed cleanup of the site of a public housing complex that was evacuated and demolished because of industrial contamination. The East Chicago Calumet Coalition Community Advisory Group says many residents didn’t get to speak at a Nov. 29 hearing about a $26.5 million project to remove tainted soil from the site of the West Calumet Housing Complex.

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Munster man pleads guilty to post office pipe bomb

A man charged in a pipe bomb explosion at a northwestern Indiana post office says he was targeting an attorney who had filed a lawsuit against him. Eric Krieg of Munster pleaded guilty Tuesday to making an unregistered destructive device and other charges. 

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Judge denies new trial in off-duty officer’s 1980 death

A judge has denied a request for a new trial for an alleged getaway driver convicted in the 1980 shooting death of an off-duty northwestern Indiana police officer. James Hill was sentenced to 47 years in prison in October after a jury earlier convicted him of murder in perpetuation of robbery and attempted robbery, and Judge Salvador Vasquez determined there was no need for a new trial.

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