George Pabey
Encyclopedia
George Pabey is a former mayor
of East Chicago
, Indiana
, United States
. He was elected into office in an October 2004 special election, and assumed office in January 2005. On September 24, 2010 he was removed from office after being found guilty in a federal court of conspiracy and theft of government funds.
One of seven children born to Puerto Rican
immigrants, he became the city's first Hispanic
mayor. His service to the city began in the capacity of police officer
in 1972, and he was promoted to Chief of Police
in 1990. He entered politics in 1999, winning a seat on the city's Common Council.
His tenure as mayor began in 2005, after he defeated longtime mayor Robert Pastrick in a special election called after Pabey mounted a legal challenge to the 2003 Municipal Election results, alleging widespread voter fraud. There were allegations of fraud against Pastrick when absentee ballots appeared skewed in the 33-year incumbent's favor http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103120390. Although Pastrick was never indicted
, other city officials were sent to jail in the ensuing federal investigation of misuse of public funds in an alleged vote-buying scheme frequently referred to as "Sidewalks for Votes". (Note that as a result of the Attorney General's suit, Pastrick and two former aids were orderd to repay $108 million in civil damages in March 2010. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103120390
Attorney General Greg Zoeller said U.S. District Judge James Moody's decision marked the first time a city government had been adjudged a corrupt organization under federal racketeering laws. http://iphone.indystar.com/posts/16393
Pabey was indicted for misuse of public funds on February 3, 2010, and faces at least five federal counts http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_f29e4f94-1107-11df-9318-001cc4c002e0.html.
Pabey was convicted by a federal court jury on September 24, 2010 of conspiracy and theft of government funds. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/east-chicago/article_e94a43f5-9cb4-5b57-89cf-5d5dce13c0ca.html A sentencing date was not set. His attorney told local media after the verdict was handed down that he will appeal his client's conviction. City Controller Charles Pacurar was automatically named interim mayor under Indiana state law that requires elected officials convicted of criminal charges to step down from office. A Lake County Democratic Party East Chicago precinct caucus replaced Pabey with Anthony Copeland, until the 2011 mayoral elections.
Pabey is married with two children.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of East Chicago
East Chicago, Indiana
East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census.-Geography:East Chicago is located at ....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was elected into office in an October 2004 special election, and assumed office in January 2005. On September 24, 2010 he was removed from office after being found guilty in a federal court of conspiracy and theft of government funds.
One of seven children born to Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
immigrants, he became the city's first Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
mayor. His service to the city began in the capacity of police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in 1972, and he was promoted to Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
in 1990. He entered politics in 1999, winning a seat on the city's Common Council.
His tenure as mayor began in 2005, after he defeated longtime mayor Robert Pastrick in a special election called after Pabey mounted a legal challenge to the 2003 Municipal Election results, alleging widespread voter fraud. There were allegations of fraud against Pastrick when absentee ballots appeared skewed in the 33-year incumbent's favor http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103120390. Although Pastrick was never indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
, other city officials were sent to jail in the ensuing federal investigation of misuse of public funds in an alleged vote-buying scheme frequently referred to as "Sidewalks for Votes". (Note that as a result of the Attorney General's suit, Pastrick and two former aids were orderd to repay $108 million in civil damages in March 2010. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103120390
Attorney General Greg Zoeller said U.S. District Judge James Moody's decision marked the first time a city government had been adjudged a corrupt organization under federal racketeering laws. http://iphone.indystar.com/posts/16393
Pabey was indicted for misuse of public funds on February 3, 2010, and faces at least five federal counts http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_f29e4f94-1107-11df-9318-001cc4c002e0.html.
Pabey was convicted by a federal court jury on September 24, 2010 of conspiracy and theft of government funds. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/east-chicago/article_e94a43f5-9cb4-5b57-89cf-5d5dce13c0ca.html A sentencing date was not set. His attorney told local media after the verdict was handed down that he will appeal his client's conviction. City Controller Charles Pacurar was automatically named interim mayor under Indiana state law that requires elected officials convicted of criminal charges to step down from office. A Lake County Democratic Party East Chicago precinct caucus replaced Pabey with Anthony Copeland, until the 2011 mayoral elections.
Pabey is married with two children.