Indiana Political Insider Sentenced to Prison for Insurance Fraud

A Lake County, Ind., political insider convicted of 11 counts of insurance fraud and tax evasion has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution.

Numerous delays pushed back by nearly 10 months the sentencing hearing held March 31 in federal court for 67-year-old Robert Cantrell of Schererville.

He was convicted last June on four counts of depriving the public of honest services, three counts of insurance fraud using the U.S. mail and four counts of filing false income tax returns between 2000 and 2003.

Cantrell has been involved in Lake County politics since the 1960s, including time as the Republican chairman in East Chicago when he was accused of working to help county Democrats.