Former Indiana lawmaker pleads guilty to casino corruption charge
A former Indiana lawmaker has pleaded guilty to a fraud charge in connection with a casino corruption scheme
INDIANAPOLIS — A former Indiana lawmaker pleaded guilty Tuesday to supporting a bill favoring a casino in exchange for promises of lucrative employment.
Sean Eberhart, 57, was charged with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He had agreed to plead guilty earlier this month. The offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Judge Matthew P. Brookman of the Southern District Court of Indiana said sentencing will follow at an unspecified date. He said prosecutors and Eberhart’s attorneys have not agreed on a recommended sentence but did settle on $60,000 in restitution — Eberhart’s salary as an elected official. Brookman said a $100 fee will be due at the time of sentencing.
Eberhart answered the judge's questions throughout the hearing with “yes” or “no” answers. He declined to take questions from members of the news media as he left the courthouse.
The former Republican state representative represented central Indiana’s House District 57 for 16 years before leaving office in November 2022.
In late 2018, a company called Spectacle Entertainment sought to purchase two casinos located on Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana, and relocate them to Gary and Vigo County in western Indiana, according to court documents.
The Legislature, whose House Committee on Public Policy oversees casinos and gaming in Indiana, passed a bill approving the move in 2019.
According to prosecutors, Eberhart, a member of the committee, used his position both to successfully advocate for the relocation and to obtain other favorable terms for the company,
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