Former Muncie mayor pleads guilty to federal theft charges
In a plea agreement, Dennis Tyler admitted to receiving $5,238 to steer Public Board of Works contracts to an unnamed company.
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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.
COA affirms relief from default judgment for defendant claiming identity theft
Default judgment against a man claiming to be the victim of identity theft in a criminal case was properly set aside, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday. The court held that the man was not required to provide a factual basis for his defense in the initial stages of the proceeding.
New Castle woman pleads guilty in mother’s suffocation death
A central Indiana woman has pleaded guilty to killing her mother, whose body was found wrapped in plastic two weeks after she was suffocated inside her apartment.
Police: Texas man allegedly crashed Indiana State Police car
A man wanted on a warrant in Texas allegedly stole and crashed an Indiana State Police car after a high-speed interstate chase, authorities said late Saturday.
Evolving law addresses coverage after hack
In what one justice described as an “emerging area of law,” the Indiana Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that insurance lawyers say provides, for the first time, concrete guidance in Indiana on how far computer fraud insurance can extend against hacks.
Prosecutor: Seymour officers justified in fatal shooting
A prosecutor has determined that the use of deadly force in the fatal police shooting of a man who pointed a gun at officers in southern Indiana was justified.
Indianapolis man charged with killing 4 after stimulus argument
An Indianapolis man was formally charged with murder Thursday in the killings of three adults and a child he allegedly shot to death after he and his girlfriend argued because he wanted a share of her federal COVID-19 relief money.
Justices vacate judge’s recent orders in case alleging law firm estate theft
The Indiana Supreme Court on Friday vacated orders of a trial court judge in a case involving a former law firm’s alleged theft from an estate. The case brought by a Jasper County charity that claims it was defrauded of a bequest is proceeding before a new judge.
Indiana woman admits spending $86K in public funds on self
A Jay County woman has pleaded guilty to diverting more than $86,000 in public funds and spending it on personal indulgences during her time as a township trustee.
Justices in tug-of-war over judge in suit accusing ex-lawyer of estate theft
Nearly eight months after the Indiana Supreme Court accepted the resignation of a one-time northern Indiana judge and former lawyer accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a widow client’s estate, justices now are being asked to remove the judge hearing a related civil lawsuit.
Despite human trafficking victimization, woman’s 14-year sentence upheld on appeal
Despite the trial court’s erroneous failure to consider a woman’s history as a victim of human trafficking, her 14-year sentence on felony charges is not inappropriate, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled.
Five from Indianapolis area sentenced to federal prison in $8.4M fraud scheme
A Zionsville business owner and four others from the Indianapolis area have been sentenced to federal prison for participating in an $8.4 million fraud and money-laundering scheme, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.
Former Whiting mayor who stole money to gamble avoids prison
A former Whiting mayor who pleaded guilty to charges that he spent about a quarter-million dollars in campaign funds to gamble and pay personal bills avoided prison on Wednesday when a federal judge ordered he be placed on two years’ probation and home detention for one year.
Police seek man who fled Greenfield jail while taking out trash
Police were searching Monday for an Indianapolis man who escaped from a central Indiana county’s jail as he was taking trash to dumpsters behind the jail building.
Justices reverse, remand for new trial in theft case
Indiana Supreme Court justices on Friday reversed a $350,000 verdict and attorney fee award for a Monroe County woman, remanding the case for a new trial on her theft claims.
Hoosiers looking for new pets warned against online scammers
Hoosiers looking to find a new furry friend via the Internet need to watch out for scammers, the Indiana Attorney General’s office announced Thursday.
Man charged after cremated remains stolen from apartment
A 53-year-old man has been charged with burglary and theft after the cremated remains of his ex-girlfriend’s parents were stolen from her apartment in Anderson.
Mount Vernon man allegedly failed to pay for $250K of timber
A southwestern Indiana man faces more than three dozen charges alleging that he failed to pay for $250,000 worth of timber he purchased over a two-year period.
Ex-Purdue prof, wife get probation for research funds fraud
A former Purdue University professor and his wife have been sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a combined $1.6 million in restitution after pleading guilty to using more than $1 million in federal research funds for their own personal expenses.