Porter County Courts
July 5, 2012 5:22PM
Updated: July 5, 2012 5:44PM
Porter County
Scam callers seek back taxes
Businesses that have been getting calls from people claiming to be officials collecting back taxes or tax warrants should not give financial information over the phone.
The callers allegedly say the business owes $6,092.16, mentions tax warrants and then try to get tax identification numbers and bank numbers from the business to pay off the back taxes.
“I don’t see why they should divulge that information. We don’t ask for it,” said Porter County Treasurer Mike Bucko.
His office recently compiled the list of those owing back property tax for the Oct. 17 tax sale and forwarded it to SRI, the Indianapolis firm that helps with the sales.
“That is the only action this office has taken,” Bucko said.
Businesses or people who want to find out if they owe back taxes can call the Porter County Treasurer’s Office at 465-3470. Those who owe back taxes can pay them up until the Oct. 17 sale.
Portage
Woman’s boyfriend now faces charges
The boyfriend of a Portage woman accused of buying heroin in Chicago and bringing it to Porter County now has the same charges filed against him.
Carl David Pancer Jr., 30, of Portage, faces up to 20 years in prison for Class B felony possession of a narcotic drug with intent to deliver.
The Porter County Drug Task Force found 24 packets of heroin and needles on Pancer and Amy Lynn Garneski, 29, after responding to a tip that the two returned to a Portage hotel on U.S. 20.
They had left used needles in a room when they were there before.
The two admitted to driving to south Chicago to buy the drugs for $220 and to using cocaine before police raided the room.
Family of man who drowned sues
The wife and child of a Hammond man who drowned July 4 weekend in 2010 is suing Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Portage for the incident.
Jose A. Tirado, then 29, was using the pool at Jellystone when he died in an uncertain manner, and the wrongful death suit filed June 29 names his widow, Megan Engle, and their son as plaintiffs.
“We’re not sure of all the facts yet, so we need to sort them out through litigation,” attorney Kelly A. Sheets said.
The main allegation of the suit is improper supervision, although there was at least one lifeguard on duty.
Management at Jellystone said they had no comment on the suit.
