Ex-Merrillville councilman pleads guilty to bribery

  • Print
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
This audio file is brought to you by
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

A former northwest Indiana town councilman has pleaded guilty to bribery for his role in an influence-buying scheme for towing contracts.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported Thomas Goralczyk, 51, entered the plea Wednesday in federal court. He admitted that he accepted two vehicles from a witness cooperating with the FBI on the promise he would use his influence as a Merrillville councilman to steer a towing contract to the informant’s towing company.

His sentencing is set for May 16. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

Goralczyk was elected as a councilman in 2007 and served as president of the council in 2011 and 2015. He lost a re-election bid in 2015.

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

Get full access to The Indiana Lawyer! Subscribe Now

Get full access to The Indiana Lawyer! Subscribe Now

Get full access to The Indiana Lawyer! Upgrade Now

Get full access to The Indiana Lawyer! Upgrade Now

Get full access to The Indiana Lawyer!

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In