Court upholds bribery conviction for ex-Indiana sheriff

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld bribery and two wire fraud convictions for a former northwestern Indiana sheriff.

The Post-Tribune reports the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago on Wednesday also vacated convictions for former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich on three wire fraud counts. Federal prosecutors conceded last year that there wasn't enough evidence to convict him on those three counts.

The appeals judges said U.S. District Court Judge James Moody should resentence Buncich.

The four-term sheriff was convicted in August 2017 on five counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery alleging he was paid bribes in exchange for awarding lucrative towing work. The 73-year-old Buncich is serving a 15-year sentence.

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