Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Co-Defendant of Bridgeport Mayor Admits Guilt in Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 20, 2013 |
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that on March 20, 2013, Paul R. Kramer, 63, of Vincennes, Indiana, pled guilty in federal district court to making false statements to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.
Kramer was indicted along with the mayor of the city of Bridgeport, Illinois, on November 6, 2012, by a federal grand jury sitting in Benton, Illinois. The indictment charged Kramer with two counts of making false statements to federal officers. Each count of making false statements carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing for Kramer is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on June 27, 2013.
“The plea in this case should serve as a reminder that lies do not stop investigations. This office and its federal and state partners will not be deterred by those who seek to subvert justice,” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “It also should serve as notice that there are 38 counties in Illinois that comprise the Southern District of Illinois, and residents in each of those counties may rest assured that my office will work diligently to insure that those who violate federal law will be found and prosecuted in any of those 38 counties.”
At his plea, Kramer admitted that on August 5, 2011, he had lied when he told agents that an invoice he faxed to agents regarding the rental of a backhoe to the city of Bridgeport was prepared for him by a person by the name of “C.S.” and that he had lied when he said it was not prepared or given to him by Max R. Schauf. In written court filings, Kramer admitted that C.S. did not prepare the invoice and that, in fact, he had obtained the invoice from Max R. Schauf, who was then the mayor of the city of Bridgeport, Illinois.
Kramer also admitted that on August 12, 2011, he had lied when he told agents that he owned a backhoe that had been rented to the city of Bridgeport, Illinois. In written court filings, Kramer admitted that the statements and representations were false because he knew at the time that the backhoe was actually owned by Max R. Schauf, the mayor of city of Bridgeport, Illinois.
Under the law, a defendant who is charged but has not pleaded guilty is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A plea of guilty by a co-defendant does not extinguish the presumption of innocence for other defendants.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ranley R. Killian and William E. Coonan.