Feds Charge Three Lake County Officials With Corruption

Money that was supposed to help poor people find jobs allegedly instead went into the pockets of greedy township officials in Northwest Indiana's Calumet Township between 2000 and 2002, according to indictments handed down by the Feds yesterday.

It's a sad story that seems to repeat itself over and over in the South Shore Region of Northwest Indiana.

Any taxpayer money designed to help the poor has to be watched like a hawk in this area. In this case, $143,000 is alleged to have been stolen from Lake County welfare recipients who were supposed to be freed from the bondage of unemployment.

How many children had to go without because the power elite -- who never live up to their Democratic party ideals of looking out for the downtrodden -- always seem focused more on self-enrichment at the expense of the little guy?

A federal grand jury indicted former Calumet Township Trustee Dozier Allen, Jr., Deputy Trustee Wanda Joshua, Ann Marie Karras, and Albert Young, Jr.

Each was charged with the following: one county of mail fraud and honest services fraud, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

The indictment says the four took a total of $143,000 for themselves, on top of their normal pay, between 2000 and 2002.

"This indictment is yet another sad example of what is too commonplace in Lake County, Indiana, and that is self-dealing" by elected officials collecting secret payments on top of their normal salaries, Acting U.S. Attorney David Capp said.

The Calumet Township Trustees enriched themselves by dipping into funds that were meant to help poor people get off of welfare an into employment by paying themselves monthly using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Labor, reports the Northwest Indiana Times.

Allen, whose regular township salary was $88,000, has not disputed the payments he and the workers received, most for $1,000. But he said the payments were approved by the Township Board and disclosed to the State Board of Accounts.

Calumet Township Dozier Allen Jr Wanda Joshua Ann Marie Karras Albert Young Jr Calumet Township Trustee mail fraud honest services fraud federal indictment Northwest Indiana Northern District of Indiana US Attorney corruption welfare poor relief