OFF THE WIRE
Jack Burns
This should happen more often...........
Crown Point, IN — The FBI and the Indiana State Police have descended
upon Lake County Sherriff’s Department (IN) and the home of Sherriff
John Buncich, subpoenas in hand, and dollies in tow. While the FBI would
not comment on the purpose of their raid, one source indicated the
federal and state authorities were investigating a large-scale bribery
scheme.
A reported 38 federal and state investigators were inside the
department, ordered everyone out, and then began to peruse through
campaign finance records which seemed to indicate Sherriff Bunich had
received nearly $9,000 in campaign donations from local towing
companies.
One of those companies was also raided. Sampson Towing was said to
have been the target of the FBI’s investigation, and FBI agents swooped
into the towing company’s place of business which reportedly has a back
lot used for stowing towed vehicles.
Typically, when an accident happens, towing companies are usually
contacted by the police to arrive on scene and effect the removal of
inoperable vehicles, vehicles involved in accidents, and vehicles which
have been impounded by police. Often, the towing company collects a per
diem storage fee while legal matters are resolved. While, at the moment,
the federal and state officials have not publicly commented on their
investigation, one might be tempted to put two and two together and
arrive at a conclusion the three separate raids are related to each
other.
Dean Delisle told a local newspaper he was inside the Sheriff’s Bureau of Identification at the time the raid occurred and said the feds were searching for information related to a specific automobile accident, as well as police reports related to said accident. Delisle said, “They were taking pictures of everything,” and added the sheriff’s deputies were very upset by the presence of the FBI in their department.
According to The Times, “Buncich’s campaign finance reports indicate he received more than $9,000 in contributions in 2014 and 2015 from several towing and auto firms in Crown Point, Gary, Highland, Hobart, Merrillville, St. John and Whiting.”
Mark Back, spokesman for the sherriff, said in a statement, “The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is cooperating with our federal law enforcement partners and fully assisting the FBI with their inquiry. Regular Sheriff’s Department operations are continuing. We assure the citizens of Lake County that their safety remains our top priority. There was no interruption of police duties.”
Back also said, “Employees were asked to at least step away from their desks while the FBI were completing their inquiry and look for whatever they were looking for,” adding that further questions would need to be directed to the FBI.
According to the Times, “The county sheriff’s department has had agreements with as many as eight towing firms who police use to remove abandoned cars from accident and arrest scenes.”
