Ex-Indiana mayor stays free for appeal of bribery conviction

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — A former northwestern Indiana mayor is being allowed to stay out of prison while he appeals his conviction on bribery and tax evasion charges.

A federal judge ruled this past week that former Portage Mayor James Snyder (R) had legitimate issues for appeal and could remain free on bond rather than surrender on Jan. 5 to begin serving a 21-month prison sentence.

Judge Matthew Kennelly, who took just a few minutes during a teleconference call to issue his ruling, said if Snyder’s appeal was successful, it would throw out the prison term that he ordered for Snyder in October, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

A jury convicted Snyder in March of taking a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.1 million city contract for garbage trucks from a trucking company.

Read more: https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/state/ex-indiana-mayor-stays-free-for-appeal-of-bribery-conviction/article_059fff09-d3c1-510b-addb-8bb3fd74f65c.html
(Bowling Green Daily News)