Former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich is appealing his resentencing hearing and is asking to do so without paying the associated fees because he is unemployed and in debt.

In January 2018, Buncich, 74, was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison after he was convicted of bribery and wire fraud, among other charges, for soliciting bribes from county tow operators.

After Buncich filed an appeal, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in June affirming his conviction on charges of bribery and wire fraud, but vacating convictions on three counts of wire fraud, which the government admitted there was insufficient evidence to convict. The appeals court said Judge James Moody in Hammond should resentence Buncich.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Buncich’s request to have his case revisited by the court of appeals in November.

Buncich, former Chief Timothy Downs and William Szarmach, of C.S.A Towing, were named in a multicount indictment in November 2016 alleging a towing scheme where the sheriff accepted bribes in the form of thousands of dollars in cash and donations to his campaign fund, Buncich Boosters, according to court records.

Downs pleaded guilty in December 2016, according to court documents, and Szarmach pleaded guilty in July 2017. Both agreed to testify against Buncich during his trial.

Buncich’s attorney, Kerry C. Connor, of Highland, asked Moody to consider resentencing him to time-served and supervised release coupled with home detention.

Moody resentenced Buncich earlier this month to 151 months in prison, which reduced his sentence by 37 months. With credit for time served, he will remain in prison for about 10 more years.

On Aug. 18, Connor filed an appeal, and the next day the appeals court filed a notice that the $505 docket fees had not been paid. The notice states that if the fee isn’t paid within 14 days, the appeal will be dismissed unless Buncich files under a rule that allows inmates to move forward with an appeal without paying fees.

Connor filed records Wednesday requesting that Buncich be allowed to appeal without paying fees. Buncich can’t afford the costs associated with an appeal because he is unemployed while in prison and has many debts to pay, according to court records.

At resentencing, Buncich was ordered to pay $800 in restitution, $35,000 fine and a $300 penalty, according to court records.

Buncich has $3,300 in his commissary account, and his “only other asset” is his Crown Point home valued by Zillow at $203,649, according to court records. The mortgage on the property is $154,722, and his nephew is currently living in the home paying $1,300 in rent each month, according to court records.

“Mr. Buncich does not have the funds to pay the costs and fees associated with his appeal, including the filing fees and the cost of ordering proceeding transcripts” according to court records. “Mr. Buncich has a number of additional unpaid debts and his daughter is paying for Mr. Buncich’s life insurance.”