Attorney who forged signatures on adoption docs gets 30-day suspension
A Zionsville attorney who forged a signature on multiple adoption documents has been suspended from the practice of law in Indiana for 30 days with automatic reinstatement.
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Former Dubois County nonprofit health care worker accused of embezzling $150K
A former nonprofit health care worker in Jasper has been indicted on 12 counts of wire fraud and 12 counts of forging checks for an alleged scheme to embezzle more than $150,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has announced.
Former Vincennes police chief arrested for stealing from department, wife arrested for theft of prescription drugs
Former Vincennes Police Department Chief Dustin Luking was arrested on multiple felony charges Wednesday for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from an evidence vault for personal use. Also today, Bethany J. Shelton Luking, Dustin’s wife, was arrested for allegedly stealing prescription medication from her employer, a senior center in Vincennes.
NW Indiana businessman gets 54 months in embezzlement scheme
A northwest Indiana businessman who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from two medical companies has been sentenced to 4½ years in prison.
Justices accept resignation of suspended Decatur lawyer
A northern Indiana lawyer who two years ago was suspended and jailed for forging a judge’s signature on a phony divorce order and attempting to coopt a deputy prosecutor’s identity has resigned from the practice of law rather than face a subsequent attorney discipline complaint.
Ex-lawyer accused of stealing from estate scrutinized for land deals
A one-time northern Indiana judge and lawyer who resigned amid a disciplinary case alleging he and his law firm stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a widow client’s estate may have used ill-gotten money to pay down his home mortgage, a court filing suggests.
Ex-judge, assistant accused of estate fraud, will tampering face escalating claims
The stakes have been raised in a lawsuit against a former northern Indiana judge and an employee of his law office accused of swindling the estate of a deceased client whose will bequeathed more than $700,000 to local charities — money the charities say they never received.
Indianapolis man gets 11-plus years in federal prison for leading fraud scheme
Indianapolis man Frank “Bread” Powell has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for leading a large-scale fraud ring that bilked Kroger and other retailers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Alleged alteration of medical records requires second review panel, COA rules
A man whose medical records were allegedly altered by practitioners cannot independently pursue a suit over that alteration without first proceeding through a separate medical review panel, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
US Supreme Court denies former Kentucky judge’s petition
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by a former Kentucky judge to delay an ethics case against her. The judge faced potential removal for attempting to help her ex-husband after his 2017 arrest on drug possession charges. She has been charged with forgery and records tampering.
Rehearing is little relief for convicted Muncie pain clinic doctor
A Muncie pain clinic doctor convicted of forgery and prescription-related offenses had his petition for rehearing granted Thursday. However, the Indiana Court of Appeals held that while testimony admitted from a Drug Enforcement Administration agent was in error, it was harmless.
Clark County nurses sentenced for stealing patient medication
Two Clark County nurses have been sentenced for stealing narcotics medication from patients following an investigation by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.
Judgment against car dealership upheld for customer in fraudulent sale
A Fort Wayne car dealership lost its appeal of a small-claims case against a woman who won a judgment arguing the dealership fraudulently sold her a car and forged her signature on transaction documents related to the sale.
COA remands case to clarify who should set sliding scale fees
The Indiana Court of Appeals has remanded a case after finding no clarification from the trial court as to whether Marion County Community Corrections was intended to evaluate a man on a sliding scale of fees for his home detention costs.
Appeals panel upholds Muncie doctor’s convictions
The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the forgery and prescription-related offenses for a Muncie doctor alleged to have overprescribed pain medication to patients by using his nurse practitioners’ names to sign the orders.
Federal court ruling continues religious broadcaster’s family feud
Two “warring cousins” who each claim to be the rightful heir to the South Bend-based LeSEA Christian broadcasting network will continue to slug it out after a federal judge largely denied one cousin’s motion to dismiss.
Another suspension for Decatur lawyer jailed for forgery, counterfeiting
The Indiana Supreme Court has again suspended a Decatur attorney from the practice of law in Indiana following a finding of her guilt for committing two felonies.
Decatur lawyer sentenced to jail for forgery, counterfeiting
A suspended northern Indiana lawyer was sentenced Friday to nearly nine months in jail for forging a judge’s signature on a phony divorce order and sending a client a bogus email that she represented as coming from a deputy prosecutor. Jill Holtzclaw of Decatur was sentenced to serve 270 days behind bars followed by a year of probation for her convictions of Level 6 felony counts of forgery and counterfeiting.
Year in Review: Attorney discipline orders drop, but major misconduct cases tarnish profession
The rare subset of attorney discipline cases brought by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission are the result of criminal charges against lawyers that could result in jail time. In that regard, the Hoosier State had plenty, even as total attorney discipline orders declined in 2018.
Lawyer facing jail time for forgery, counterfeiting
A northern Indiana lawyer could be sentenced to nearly two years in jail after she pleaded guilty Tuesday to forging a judge’s name on a phony divorce decree and sending a bogus email bearing a deputy prosecutor’s name. Jill N. Holtzclaw of Decatur pleaded guilty to Level 6 felony counts of forgery and counterfeiting Tuesday in Adams Superior Court.