Defense seeks 4-year prison sentence for ex-Indiana sheriff

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A defense attorney for the former sheriff of Indiana's second most-populous county says federal prosecutors are seeking an "outrageous" prison sentence for his conviction on bribery and wire fraud charges.

The defense says in a court filing that former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich maintains he was doing legitimate campaign fundraising.

Buncich was removed from office after a jury convicted him in August for what prosecutors said was his acceptance of thousands of dollars in bribes from towing businesses.

Prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence Buncich to at least 15 years in prison. The Post-Tribune reports defense attorney Bryan Truitt asked for a maximum sentence of about 4 years, arguing the prosecutors' request would essentially be a life sentence for the 72-year-old Buncich.

His sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday.

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Information from: Post-Tribune, http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/