Feds to reveal new public corruption charges

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BY BILL DOLAN
bdolan@nwitimes.com
219.662.5328 | Thursday, September 20, 2007 | (3 comment(s))

HAMMOND | Acting U.S. Attorney David Capp's office is set to announce new public corruption indictments today.

A press advisory from the Hammond-based federal prosecutor did not disclose the newest target of his office's Operation Restore Public Integrity, an effort by state and federal authorities that has secured more than 30 convictions of public figures in the last five years.

It will be the first public corruption indictment since Capp was named to replace former U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen, who took over as a U.S. District Court judge earlier this year.

Capp is a veteran in the public corruption arena, having been an interim U.S. Attorney before and having directed Operation Restore Public Integrity for years.

Under Capp's tenure, grand juries have indicted dozens of East Chicago and Gary city officials and Lake County officeholders for a variety of charges, including misappropriation of public funds, bribery, extortion, fraud and ghost employment.

His office has most recently concentrated on the Gary Urban Enterprise Association, a defunct nonprofit organization whose officials have admitted using the group's tax-exempt status to profit themselves and others.

Gary attorney Willie Harris, Lake County Councilman Will Smith Jr. and former county tax collector Roosevelt Powell are on trial this week in Hammond federal court on charges they fraudulently used GUEA in a scheme to steal public money.

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truth teller wrote on Sep 20, 2007 7:46 PM:

" Maybe they need to chech out the Med staff department at the lake county jail, I mean "misappropriation of public funds" thats a no brainer, just check out how the department is being ran (or not) and what those nurses really do (or do not) for a living. I am positive if you contact the inmates and there families they will let you know. Or perhaps just go watch them for a week or two. "

They don't have enough prosecutors wrote on Sep 20, 2007 7:42 PM:

" to indict all the crooked Hammond politicians. "

JM wrote on Sep 20, 2007 11:18 AM:

" Maybe they will look at IN state gov't.. Or Hammond Gov't "

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