Former Indiana lawmaker accused of pushing casino bill in exchange for a job gets a year in prison

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a former Indiana lawmaker accused of pushing a bill favoring a casino company in exchange for promises of employment to a year and a day in prison.

Former state Rep. Sean Eberhart pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud in November and agreed to pay $60,000 in restitution, roughly equal to his annual pay as a legislator. He faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison but prosecutors recommended leniency as part of the plea deal, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Eberhart’s attorney, Pat Cotter, declined to comment on the sentencing when reached by The Associated Press via email.

Eberhart, a Republican, represented central Indiana’s House District 57 for 16 years before he left office in November 2022.

According to court documents, a company called Spectacle Entertainment was looking to purchase two casinos located on Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana, in 2018. The company wanted to relocate the facilities to downtown Gary and to Vigo County in western Indiana. The Legislature passed a bill approving the move in 2019.

Eberhart sat on the House Committee on Public Policy, which oversees casinos and gambling in Indiana. Prosecutors accused him of using his position to successfully advocate for the relocation and obtain favorable terms for the company, including tax incentives, in exchange for a future job that would pay at least $350,000 annually.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true»