Gary woman admits to taking late father’s benefits, pleads guilty to mail fraud
A northwest Indiana woman has admitted that she cashed her late father’s government disability checks and pocketed the money for 10 years after his death.
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Investors lose appeal in lawsuit against Fair Finance lender
Victims of Indianapolis businessman Tim Durham, who was convicted in 2012 of running a Ponzi that defrauded investors out of $200 million, have hit another roadblock after the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an attempt to recoup some of their losses.
Ex-NFL players plead guilty to health care fraud scheme
Former NFL players Clinton Portis, Tamarick Vanover and Robert McCune pleaded guilty for their roles in a nationwide health care fraud scheme and could face years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
COA: Greenwood law firm didn’t commit fraud, but disciplinary grievances dismissed too quickly
A Greenwood law firm did not commit fraud when an unlicensed representative consulted with an Indianapolis woman for legal services, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled. However, the appellate panel opined that disciplinary grievances filed as a result of the alleged fraud were dismissed too quickly.
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.
Carmel-based firm uncovers three separate cases of employee fraud
Maria Caceres, a former employee of Carmel-based Seven Corners Inc., stands accused of defrauding the company by submitting false claims — the third employee to face such charges within two years in separate criminal cases that allege more than $3.5 million in fraud against the travel insurance company.
Defendants found guilty on all charges in Banc-Serv fraud trial
A jury has delivered guilty verdicts on all charges against the former officers and employees of a now-defunct financial services firm in Westfield.
Former bank branch manager sentenced to 3 years in two fraud schemes
A former manager of a bank branch in Brownsburg has been sentenced to three years in prison for two separate fraud schemes—one involving bank customers and the other involving three children for whom she served as inheritance trustee.
Ex-South Bend housing authority director indicted for alleged fraud
The former executive director of a northern Indiana city’s housing authority has been indicted along with four others in a scheme that allegedly defrauded the U.S. government of millions of dollars.
Appellate court reverses order vacating default judgment nearly 10 years later
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed a trial court’s order vacating a nearly decade-old default judgment in a debt collection dispute, finding the debtor’s delay in bringing his fraud allegation was not reasonable.
Lake Co. fraudster sentenced to 5 years on conspiracy charge
A northern Indiana businessman who pleaded guilty to securities fraud in a Ponzi-like scheme has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.
State seeking $154M from former charter schools accused of enrollment fraud
The state of Indiana is suing to recover more than $154 million from two now-defunct charter schools accused of padding their enrollment numbers to receive extra state funds, then misappropriating those funds to benefit school associates and their private businesses.
Corruption dispute between Marion, financial adviser headed to trial
A dispute between a city administration and a financial advising group that allegedly contributed to corruption in the city is headed to trial after the Indiana Supreme Court reversed the award of summary judgment for the adviser.
Loan relief granted to defrauded for-profit college students
The U.S. Education Department said Wednesday it’s erasing student debt for thousands of borrowers who attended a for-profit college chain that made exaggerated claims about its graduates’ success in finding jobs. The Biden administration said it is approving 18,000 loan forgiveness claims from former students of ITT Technical Institute, a chain that closed in 2016 after being dealt a series of sanctions by the Obama administration.
Evansville woman pleads guilty to absentee ballot charge
Jan Reed, 69, admitted to illegally mailing hundreds of absentee voter applications before the 2020 Indiana primary election.
COA: No-contact order didn’t protect deceased victim
No-contact orders cannot be issued to protect dead people, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Friday reversal for a man who sent an apology letter to a deceased person he previously committed fraud against.
Ex-nursing home CEO taking fight against Barnes & Thornburg to 7th Circuit
James Burkhart, who led American Senior Communities, had argued Barnes & Thornburg failed to disclose a “profound conflict of interest” that compromised its representation of him.
Ponzi schemer Cochran escalates fight for early release on COVID grounds
Jim Cochran, the former Indianapolis businessman serving a 25-year prison term for his role in the massive Fair Finance Ponzi scheme, is asking a Chicago appeals court for early release on the grounds that his health problems could make contracting COVID-19 lethal and that he has undergone a religious conversion that no longer makes him a risk to society.
Justices hear arguments in ‘fraud’ case stemming from missed diagnosis
The distinction between active and constructive fraud has long been established in Indiana law. But should that distinction be abolished, or an exception carved out? That question is before the Indiana Supreme Court in a closely watched medical malpractice lawsuit.
Supreme Court cuts back FTC power to seek ill-gotten gains
A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday cut back the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to recover ill-gotten gains, overturning a nearly $1.3 billion award against a professional race car driver who was convicted of cheating consumers through his payday loan businesses.