3 Indiana Cops Indicted for Illegally Selling Machine Guns

According to the indictment, 74 machine guns were illegally acquired

Three Lake County police officers have been indicted for allegedly selling machine guns and laser sights they misued their positions to obtain, the U.S. attorney's office said Thursday.

In a separate indictment also announced Thursday, the Lake County coroner was indicted on charges of mail fraud, theft and misappropriation of funds among others.

Sgt. Joseph Kumstar and Officers Ronald Slusser and Edward Kabella are accused of allegedly lying about buying machine guns for the Sherriff's Department, then intercepting the weapons and taking them to Slusser's house to sell online.

According to the indictment, 74 machine guns were illegally acquired and 92 laser sights were acquired and sold.

The Sheriff's Department began an investigation in late 2009 when a call was received from a concerned citizen about machine guns missing from the Lake County Sheriff's Department inventory.

All three officers agreed to plead guilty, the U.S. attorney's office said.

In the coroner's case Thomas Philpot is accused of misappropriating nearly $25,000 from the county's child support program.

Arrangements were being made for Philpot's surrender to authorities, according to the Northwest Indiana Times.

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