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Former Indiana mayor pleads guilty in embezzlement case

Posted January 20, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A former northwestern Indiana mayor has pleaded guilty to helping his stepdaughter cover up her embezzlement of funds from a court.

The (Munster) Times reports (http://bit.ly/1RAakvb ) former Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist pleaded guilty Wednesday to being an accessory after the fact by obtaining a $15,000 loan to conceal his stepdaughter's actions. His daughter, Miranda Brakley, pleaded guilty to one count of theft over allegations she embezzled more than $16,000 from Lake Station's City Court, where she was a clerk.

The former mayor and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, also have agreed to waive their right to appeal their September convictions of improperly using campaign funds and money from the city's food pantry to gamble.

They had alleged U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano fell asleep at least twice during their trial.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com

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