Articles

7th Circuit finds leadership enhancement harmless error

An Indianapolis furniture salesman who used his business as a front for selling cocaine and heroin persuaded the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to buy his argument that he did not have a leadership role in the drug operation, but his 30-year sentence was still affirmed.

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Appeals court orders return of $60K in seized cash

The Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered the return of more than $60,000 in cash seized by an Indianapolis detective who was checking packages at a parcel-shipping company. The same detective’s prior seizure of cash in a similar manner set the precedent in a 2017 case that such searches are unlawful.

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Manafort accused of amassing secret income as trial opens

Paul Manafort orchestrated a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to evade U.S. tax and banking laws, leaving behind a trail of lies as he lived a lavish lifestyle, prosecutors said as they laid out their case against the former Trump campaign chairman.

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Muncie’s former building commissioner admits corruption

Muncie’s former building commissioner has agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges. In an agreement filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, Craig Nichols pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering. Nichols faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

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Former nursing home executive handed 57-month prison sentence

Daniel Benson, the former chief operating officer of American Senior Communities, was sentenced Friday to nearly five years in federal prison for his role in a massive kickback scheme at Indiana’s largest chain of nursing homes. Indiana Southern District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt sentenced Benson to a 57-month sentence as part of a plea agreement.

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Adviser who defrauded former Colt of $4.7M gets seven years in prison

A former financial adviser who admitted to defrauding former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Cory Redding out of $4.7 million was sentenced Friday to seven years in federal prison. Kenneth Ray Cleveland received the punishment after pleading guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges. 

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Bont: Taking a dramatic look at money laundering

Money laundering is transferring the proceeds of an unlawful activity by means and methods that are designed to conceal the nature or source of the money. 18 U.S.C. § 1956. The Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions in the United States to file a report for any deposit or withdrawal of more than $10,000. In evaluating liability for money laundering, there are two threshold issues to keep in mind. 

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Insight or influence? Trump attorney’s business scrutinized

Already under investigation for a payment to a porn star, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney is facing intensifying legal and ethical scrutiny for selling his Trump World experience and views at a hefty price to companies that sought “insight” into the new president.

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Judge in Manafort case chides lawyers over sealed filings

The judge presiding over the criminal prosecutions of two of the men charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation chided lawyers Wednesday for the number of sealed filings they’ve made  and said she was determined to set a trial date soon to keep the case moving forward.

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Lawyers for Mueller case defendant ask to withdraw

Lawyers for one of the four people charged in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation have asked to withdraw from the case. Attorneys for Rick Gates say in a newly unsealed motion that "irreconcilable differences have developed with the client which make our effective representation of the client impossible."

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Due in court, Manafort attacks Russia probe indictment

Accused of multiple financial crimes, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman on Thursday attacked the strength of the evidence against him, saying the case brought by special counsel Robert Mueller is “embellished.”

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