Ex-assessor gets 1 year in prison for extorting bribes
HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) – A federal judge has sentenced a former northwestern Indiana official to a year in prison for extorting bribes and giving a self-service laundry an illegal tax refund.
The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports Judge Philip Simon imposed the sentence Friday on former Calumet Township deputy assessor Pamela Griffin Frizzelle. The 54-year-old Merrillville woman must report to prison by Feb. 3 and pay $7,178.00 in restitution.
Frizzelle pleaded guilty July 15 to three counts of extortion under a plea agreement in which prosecutors dropped four additional charges against her and agreed to a reduced sentence. She had faced a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Frizzelle admitted she solicited cash from the laundry’s owner in October 2014 in exchange for convincing her supervisors the business deserved a reduced tax assessment.
