Paul Bateman Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charges

Readers of this blog learned last weekend that former Indianapolis City-County Councilor Paul Bateman was planning to plead guilty to federal fraud charges he and two co-defendants faced rather than take his chances at trial in the wake of one of his co-conspirators, Michael Russell, deciding last week to cop a plea. Today, the U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett makes public a plea agreement Bateman has entered with his office. Bateman will plead guilty to 13 counts of wire fraud and money laundering arising out of the defrauding of an Indianapolis physician out of $1.7 million he thought would be used for charitable-related expenses for the Russell Foundation. Just one defendant, Manuel Gonzalez, is now scheduled to go on trial next month. Hogsett tells reporters that his office will recommend prison time of between 30 and 37 months for Bateman in exchange for his agreement to cooperate in the prosecution of Gonzalez. Bateman and Russell have also agreed to pay restitution to the physician they defrauded.