HAMMOND, INDIANA – Three Indictments Return in Public Corruption Probe
United States Attorney David Capp announced today that three indictments were returned as a result of investigations by the public corruption task force. The indictments alleged that individuals utilized the Lake County Sheriff’s Department to acquire firearms and restricted laser sights for personal gain.
Vahan Kelerchian, 53, of Richboro, Pennsylvania, is charged in a nine-count indictment for his alleged role in a conspiracy to make false statements concerning the acquisition of firearms. Kelerchian is the principal owner and operator of Armament Services International, a company located in the Philadelphia area engaged in the sales of firearms, primarily through the internet.
The indictment alleges that Kelerchian, along with former Lake County Sheriff deputies Joseph Kumstar and Ronald Slusser, utilized the Lake County Sheriff’s Department to acquire approximately 71 machine guns representing that those firearms were to be owned and utilized by the sheriff’s department for law enforcement purposes. In actuality, it is alleged that Kelerchian, Kumstar, and Slusser acquired these firearms for themselves and broke the firearms down into certain component parts and sold those parts at considerable profit.
The indictment also alleges a conspiracy among the same individuals to defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the acquisition of approximately 74 restricted laser sights which can only be obtained by law enforcement or the military. Similar misrepresentations concerning the acquisition and use by the Lake County Sheriff’s department are alleged in this count.
Kelerchian is also charged with conspiring with Joseph Kumstar to provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with letters purportedly from the sheriff’s department requesting demonstrations of machine guns when in fact they knew there would be no such demonstrations. The indictment also charges that on or about July 31, 2008, Kelerchian gave Kumstar a certain firearm intending to award or influence Kumstar in connection with transactions concerning the Lake County Sheriff’s department.
Additionally, the indictment alleges a conspiracy by Kelerchian, Kumstar, and Slusser to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of specified unlawful activity.
Other Indictments
Roman Perez, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, is charged with one count of making false statements under oath on a tax return and one count of making a false statement in a bankruptcy proceeding. The indictment alleges that Perez understated his total taxable income for 2007 by approximately $110,108.00, of which approximately $80,000 constituted payments from both the Treasurer of Lake County, Indiana, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Commissary Fund, to Roman Art Inc., a graphic design business owned and operated by Perez. Perez has agreed to plead guilty to these charges and will cooperate with the United States Attorney’s Office.
Current Lake County Surveyor George Van Til, 65, of Merrillville, Indiana, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of obstruction of justice. The indictment alleges that Van Til, beginning in or about November 2007 and continuing through December 2012, devised a scheme to defraud Lake County of money and property by utilizing county employees to perform personal services and political services so that Van Til would be re-elected as Lake County Surveyor.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
ðŸâ€â€™ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
