A former Merrillville councilman formally pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting vehicles and other items in exchange for a municipal towing contract.
Tom Goralczyk, 51, of Merrillville, filed a guilty plea with Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen Wednesday after he was indicted in November for soliciting bribes during his tenure on the Town Council, according to court documents, and struck a plea agreement to the charges the same day the case was unsealed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson said Goralczyk accepted two vehicles from a confidential informant who wanted to get on Merrillville's tow list. Benson said Goralczyk took the vehicles and used his influence in the town to get the confidential informant on the list.
Van Bokkelen asked how Goralczyk wanted to plea.
"Guilty, your honor," Goralczyk said.
The charges said that Goralczyk "did knowingly and corruptly solicit demand, accept and agree to accept" a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee; a 2008 Ford Focus; four new camper tires; and free storage for a motorcycle from "Individual A" in return for a towing contract from Merrillville, according to court documents.
"The purpose of this was to buy your influence?" asked Van Bokkelen.
"Yes sir," Goralczyk said.
Goralczyk presented false bills of sale to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which he obtained for $400 though the value was in excess of $2,500, and for the Ford Focus, which he accepted for free though it was valued in excess of $5,000, according to court documents.
"I obtained both of these vehicles for my own personal gain, in exchange for my promise to engage in official conduct by using my influence and power as a Merrillville town councilman to obtain a Town of Merrillville towing contract for the FBI 'cooperating individual's' towing company," Goralczyk said, in the plea agreement.
Van Bokkelen set a May 16 sentencing hearing for Goralczyk.
Goralczyk, who represented Ward 4, was seeking his third term on the Merrillville Town Council when he lost to Marge Uzelac, a longtime activist in the town, during the May 2015 Democratic primary. He had served as council president twice during his two terms.
Goralczyk's indictment came almost a year after the U.S. Attorney's Office filed charges against former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and Portage Mayor James Snyder for allegedly soliciting bribes from tow operators.
The FBI's investigation into potential pay-to-play towing began in 2012, according to testimony in federal court during Buncich's trial. The investigation first looked at town officials in Merrillville and Schererville, according to testimony, but did not lead to any charges at that time.
A jury in August convicted Buncich of bribery and wire fraud, according to court documents, and Judge James Moody sentenced the former sheriff to 15 years and eight months in prison.
Snyder pleaded not guilty, according to court documents, and is scheduled for a June trial.