Lawyer: Ind. coroner was told he could take money

HAMMOND, Ind. — An attorney for indicted Lake County Coroner Thomas Philpot says his client took $24,700 he is charged with stealing only after a lawyer told him it was legal.

Philpot’s attorney, Leonard Goodman, told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville and The Times of Munster on Monday that Philpot took money from a child support program after an attorney paid by the Lake County Council told him he could. Goodman was county clerk at the time and the money was an incentive for county employees who helped collect child support payments.

According to the five-count indictment, elected officials were required to get approval from their fiscal body before they could pay themselves from the fund. The indictment says Philpot never got that approval.

Goodman says Philpot will plead innocent.