Against court orders, Conour auctioned art for $10K
Attorney William Conour, accused of defrauding clients of more than $4.5 million, has admitted to auctioning some of his art collection in an apparent violation of bond conditions.
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Feds used wire tap, undercover agent in Land Bank probe
A federal public-corruption task force used a wire tap and an undercover FBI agent to unravel a fraud scheme authorities say was orchestrated by two city employees and three co-conspirators.
Ex-councilor Bateman sentenced to 27 months in prison
Paul C. Bateman Jr. had pleaded guilty in January to his part in defrauding an Indianapolis physician of $1.7 million.
Assets of attorney in fraud case have gone missing, feds say
After being charged with defrauding clients, Indianapolis attorney William Conour was ordered not to dispose of his personal property. But much of it is now missing, including art, furniture, sports memorabilia and bottles of expensive champagne, according to court filings.
Grifter gets 19 months for fraud that hit Indy firms
Despite her dramatic pleas to a federal judge on Tuesday, Dina Wein Reis, who defrauded corporations out of millions of dollars, will go to prison.
Jury finds Bateman co-defendant not guilty in $1.7M fraud
Manuel Gonzalez has been acquitted of three counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering in connection with a scheme that targeted an Indianapolis physician. Former City-County Councilor Paul Bateman pleaded guilty last month to participating in the scheme.
Defense attorneys turn tough in Bales trial
The legal team representing real estate broker John M. Bales and partner William E. Spencer haven't called their first witness and already they're putting up a spirited fight as federal prosecutors seek to prove 13 charges including bank, mail and wire fraud.
Convicted financier Durham says he can’t afford a lawyer
An Indiana financier and former chief executive of National Lampoon who was convicted of swindling investors out of about $200 million says he can't afford to hire an attorney to handle his appeal.
Court affirms block on Planned Parenthood defunding
An injunction against an Indiana law that blocks state Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood has been upheld by the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Small law firm sees faith in WellPoint class-action suit pay off
A federal judge in June granted preliminary approval to a deal under which WellPoint Inc. would pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit charging it undercompensated policyholders when it converted into a public company in 2001.
Durham, Fair Finance partners face detention hearing
A federal judge will hear evidence on whether Tim Durham, Jim Cochran and Rick Snow should be kept in jail until they are sentenced.
Judge upholds Indiana Facebook ban for sex offenders
The ACLU has said it will appeal a federal judge’s decision to uphold an Indiana law that bans registered sex offenders from accessing Facebook and other social networking sites used by children.
Defense rests in Durham trial without defendants testifying
Defense attorneys in the federal fraud trial of Fair Finance executives Tim Durham, Jim Cochran and Rick Snow rested their cases Tuesday morning after calling just one witness and introducing a handful of exhibits.
Durham prosecutors wrap case with details on asset transfer
In the weeks before an FBI raid shut down Fair Finance Co., top company executives led by Indianapolis financier Tim Durham devised a last-ditch maneuver they hoped would persuade Ohio regulators to allow them to keep selling investment certificates.
Durham trial: Auditor expected problems at Fair Finance
The accounting firm Tim Durham hired to review the Ohio company’s 2003 finances refused to complete an audit because of concerns about the accuracy of its numbers and the appropriateness of its practices. The FBI raided Fair Finance in November 2009.
VIDEO: Fair Finance investor’s family lost $475K
Donald Russell, a retired deputy sheriff, is among the more than 5,000 clients of Fair Finance who lost big investments with the Ohio firm. After testifying on Tuesday during the fraud trial for Fair owner Tim Durham, he shared his story with IBJ.
No lockstep defense strategy for Durham co-defendants
Tim Durham and his co-defendants in the fraud case involving Fair Finance sit on the same side of the courtroom, but that doesn't mean their interests are always aligned.
Durham trial: Fair Finance controller details cash crunch
The former controller at Fair Finance is testifying at the fraud trial of Tim Durham as a star witness for the federal government in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
WellPoint prevails in shareholder suit over 2001 restructuring
A federal judge has dismissed a shareholder class-action lawsuit against WellPoint stemming from the company’s 2001 conversion from a mutual insurer to a publicly traded company.
Grand jury indicts local real estate broker Bales
A grand jury in South Bend has returned a 14-count criminal indictment against Indianapolis real estate broker John M. Bales and two associates over a state lease deal in Elkhart that was first revealed as part of an IBJ investigation.