The jury heard closing arguments from attorneys in the retrial of James Snyder, former Portage mayor, on a soliciting bribes charge Thursday afternoon, and will return to the Hammond’s federal court Friday to deliberate his fate.

In February 2019, a jury convicted Snyder, 42, of taking a $13,000 bribe in exchange for contracts to sell five garbage trucks to the city and using a shell company to hide income assets from the IRS while owing back personal and business taxes. The jury acquitted Snyder on a third count that alleged he took a $12,000 bribe to get a company on Portage’s tow list.

On Nov. 27, 2019, Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen granted a new trial on the soliciting bribes charge. The retrial is being heard by Judge Matthew F. Kennelly, with the Northern District of Illinois, who is the third judge to review the case.

During closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster said that Snyder violated the public’s trust by steering the bids for the garbage truck contracts worth $1.25 million to Great Lakes Peterbilt and then asking for money from the company owners.

In the first round of bids, Koster pointed to Reeder’s testimony about Snyder’s “urgency” to purchase a garbage truck in 150 days, which only Great Lakes Peterbilt could deliver on. In the second round of bids, Koster pointed to the conversation Snyder and Randy Reeder, assistant superintendent of Portage’s Streets and Sanitation Department, had about asking Great Lakes Peterbilt to lower the price of a 2012 garbage truck so that there wouldn’t be a bid process.

“They were looking to do it directly. That’s what they wanted,” Koster said. “They were motivated

and interested in this truck.”

Snyder further “injected himself” in the bidding process by communicating with the owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt before, during and after the bid processes.

After the second bid, Snyder — who was having financial trouble — went to the owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt, Stephen and Robert Buha, and asked them for money, Koster said. Snyder claims to have done health insurance consulting, Koster said, but no contracts were written and there was no documented proof work was done.

“He just went to a company he knew got $1.25 million in contracts for a reward,” she said.

Snyder’s attorney, Jackie Bennett, said the prosecutors didn’t present direct evidence that the $13,000 signed by the Buha brothers was a bribe. Snyder didn’t conceal the bribe, like prosecutors stated, because it was deposited into an account with Snyder’s name associated with it.

Bennett said the only thing the prosecutors proved in the case was that Snyder was poor, and stated that Snyder went to Great Lakes Peterbilt to get a second job as a consultant to support his family. Koster asked the jury to consider how many people get a second job stating “I need money” and are handed a check for the work upfront.

Koster also reiterated there was no proof work was done, and that Snyder gave different explanationsto people on what work he did to earn the $13,000.

“The problem with lies is you have to keep them straight,” Koster said. “All of these explanations were after the fact to explain a payment that has no justification.”

Thursday morning, Robert Buha testified that Snyder came to him and his brother asking for money and that the mayor made known that he wanted the garbage truck bids to be awarded to the company.

Buha, 69, of Valparaiso, said that around Christmastime 2013, Snyder came to Great Lakes Peterbilt, unannounced and asked to meet with the owners, Robert and his brother, Stephen. Once the three were together, Snyder said, “I need money. That’s what I’m here for.”

Robert Buha said Snyder said his mayoral salary “wasn’t sufficient to sustain his family,” and that he owed money for taxes and personal expenses.

Snyder asked for a $15,000 loan, which the brothers did not agree to give, Robert Buha testified. Then, Snyder asked if he could work for the money. After some thought, they decided he could do consulting on insurance because Robert Buha was having difficulties figuring out the Affordable Care Act, he said.

After calculating what a minimum wage worker would receive for a year’s work, Buha calculated $13,000. Snyder asked for the money upfront and the bothers agreed and issued him a check Jan. 10, 2014, Robert Buha said.

Buha said that Snyder gave some advice on how to provide health insurance for union and nonunion employees, but that those were conversations and no documents were handed over. For technology consulting, Snyder did not give “as much” advice as he did on health insurance, Robert Buha said.

“He and I did have discussions about it, and he had ideas and advice,” Buha said.

Snyder did not write up a contract, file an invoice or provide other documentation to prove he did work for Great Lakes Peterbilt. He also didn’t write up a disclosure sheet with the city about the work he was doing with Great Lakes Peterbilt, which Robert Buha said was important to him.

Ultimately, he said, Snyder did not perform work worth $13,000.

“It’s like you hire a controller or accountant and they don’t have a degree in accounting,” Robert Buha told a grand jury previously, which was read into the record.

On the morning the FBI came to visit Snyder in July 2014, Snyder called Buha and asked him to come pick him up. Buha arrived at Snyder’s house and Snyder got in the car and they drove around.

While in the car, Buha said, Snyder told him the FBI is asking questions about the $13,000 check Great Lakes Peterbilt wrote to Snyder’s SRC Consulting account. Snyder told him that the FBI will come ask the Buha brothers about that, Buha testified.

Buha told the FBI agents, who showed up later that afternoon, that he thought Snyder gave the business a contract for his work, but he later learned Snyder didn’t submit any documentation.

Robert Buha described Snyder as “a pest” but, given Snyder’s status as mayor, Buha said he felt pressured to give him money when asked, because Snyder was “a man of influence.”

“He’s the mayor and has influence,” Robert Buha said.