Former employee pleads guilty in $4.5M Cummins fraud case
A former employee accused of defrauding Indiana-based Cummins Inc. and other companies out of more than $4.5 million has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
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Prosecutors: Deeply-in-debt Michael Avenatti sought payday
Prosecutors say high-profile California attorney Michael Avenatti was over $15 million in debt when he tried to extort up to $25 million from Nike, while Avenatti’s lawyers say the money he legally requested to conduct an internal probe of the sportswear giant was a bargain. Both sides made the assertions in court papers filed late Tuesday in advance of a Jan. 22 criminal trial in Manhattan.
Former ‘America’s Most Wanted’ suspect can’t sue Mexican prison in US
A former fugitive arrested in Mexico after his case alleging a scheme to defraud the US military was profiled on the former Fox Network television series “America’s Most Wanted” cannot sue authorities at a Mexican prison where he claims he was tortured.
Suspended Fort Wayne bankruptcy lawyer who served theft sentence resigns
A former Fort Wayne bankruptcy lawyer who served a completed a federal prison sentence for embezzling from a client has resigned from the Indiana bar. Randall Stiles, 46, was released from the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute on Oct. 31 after serving a six-month sentence imposed in March for his guilty plea to two counts of bankruptcy fraud and a misdemeanor tax charge.
Landscaper’s home fraud conviction vacated
A man convicted of home-improvement fraud after being hired to landscape a yard had his conviction vacated Tuesday, when the Indiana Court of Appeals found his conduct did not fall under the home improvement fraud statute.
Celadon files for bankruptcy, plans to shut down
An Indianapolis-based trucking company with nearly 4,000 employees said Monday it filed for bankruptcy and will shut down all operations, just days after two former officials were charged in a fraud scheme.
UPDATE: Former Celadon COO, CFO indicted on multiple fraud charges
The former chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Indianapolis-based trucking firm Celadon Group Inc. have been indicted for their alleged roles in what the U.S. Department of Justice describes as a “complex securities and accounting fraud scheme that resulted in a loss of more than $60 million in shareholder value.”
Husband intended to defraud wife before divorce, COA rules
A man who conveyed several properties he owned to a family member shortly before divorcing his wife intended to defraud her, the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.
Civil penalties imposed on Imperial Petroleum fraudster upheld
A man hired to artificially inflate an Indiana oil company’s stock has lost his appeal at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals after the federal court concluded the extent of his cooperation and whistleblower activities was adequately assessed when he was issued more than $1.5 million in civil penalties.
Lawyer facing fraud, theft charges suspended for noncooperation
A law firm name attorney in a northern Indiana county seat community who is facing multiple felony fraud and theft charges has been suspended from the practice of law after he failed to sufficiently respond to four ethics investigations by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
Fraudster Durham wins hearing on whether lawyer’s $1M fee created conflict
Fair Finance fraud felon Tim Durham will get a chance to grill his former trial attorney over whether his $1 million wire fraud defense representation fee created a conflict of interest between money the lawyer could pocket versus paying for witnesses Durham claims could have testified in his favor. A federal judge recently granted a new hearing on that and other grounds as Durham seeks to chisel away at his 50-year prison sentence.
Suspended Lake County attorney arraigned in federal court
Suspended Schererville attorney Raymond Gupta was released Thursday after posting a $20,000 bond following his arraignment in federal court on charges of tax evasion and failure to pay federal income taxes.
Justices to consider key SEC tool in securities fraud
The Supreme Court will consider taking away an important tool that federal securities regulators used last year to recoup $2.5 billion in ill-gotten gains in fraud cases.
Divided COA tosses suit against lawyers over tax sale proceeds as untimely
A divided panel of the Indiana Court of Appeals on Thursday threw out a lawsuit against two lawyers filed by their opposing party in long-running litigation, the current case over proceeds from a tax sale that the lawyers distributed to their clients. The majority ruled that the lawsuit — filed one day outside the two-year statute of limitations — should be dismissed.
Nurse pleads guilty in Medicaid fraud case
An Indiana nurse was sentenced to three years, with most of the time suspended, for multiple counts of forgery and ordered to pay nearly $8,000 in restitution to the Indiana Medicaid Program as part of plea agreement reached in Marion Superior Court.
Purdue prof, wife plead guilty in research fund scheme
A Purdue University professor and his wife have pleaded guilty to using more that $1 million in federal research funds for their own personal expenses.
Excise Police: Lake County retailer caught selling counterfeit vaping pods
Boxes of counterfeit fruit-flavored Juul vaping products discovered during the execution of a search warrant were confiscated from a Lake County store Friday after a customer reported the products were fake.
High court to consider state role in prosecuting immigrants
Donaldo Morales caught a break when federal prosecutors declined to charge him after he was arrested for using a fake Social Security card so he could work at a Kansas restaurant. But the break was short-lived. Kansas authorities stepped in and obtained a state conviction that could lead to Morales’ deportation.
Carmel-based fraternity foundation official accused of embezzling $450K
The former financial coordinator of a charitable foundation operated by Carmel-based women’s fraternity Zeta Tau Alpha has been charged in federal court with eight counts of wire fraud, accused of embezzling about $450,000 from the organization.
Overhaul proposed for decades-old Medicare fraud rules
The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed overhauling decades-old Medicare rules originally meant to deter fraud and abuse but now seen as a roadblock to coordinating better care for patients. Two former Indiana health care industry professionals are leading the proposed reforms.