NW Indiana man charged in taxidermy thefts from DNR office
A northwest Indiana man allegedly broke into a state office at a fish and wildlife area twice in 2018 and stole taxidermy animals, ammunition and other items, authorities said.
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Ex-Muncie mayor sentenced to year in prison for bribery
A former Indiana mayor was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison on federal charges of taking a $5,000 bribe in exchange for steering city projects to a contractor.
Denial of Batson challenge, sentencing appropriate for kidnapper, 7th Circuit affirms
A man who went on a violent crime spree with four accomplices across three states wasn’t improperly denied a Batson challenge, and the enhanced sentence imposed on the kidnapper wasn’t inappropriate, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed.
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.
Guardian of slain officer’s son’s estate charged with theft
An Illinois woman who oversees the estate of a slain Terre Haute police officer’s son has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $200,000 from the boy’s estate.
Clarksville man charged after woman’s decapitated body found
A southern Indiana man has been charged with murder after firefighters found a woman’s decapitated, mutilated body inside her burning apartment, hours before police allegedly found her missing body parts in a suitcase in the suspect’s home.
Indianapolis police pursuit crash seriously injures woman
An Indianapolis police officer chasing a stolen truck crashed into a car during the pursuit, seriously injuring a motorist, police said.
New Castle woman gets maximum term for mom’s murder
An eastern Indiana woman has received the maximum prison term after pleading guilty to murder in the death of her mother.
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.
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.