HAMMOND-Two brothers who owned a trucking company and received $13,000 from former Portage Mayor James Snyder can now testify without the worry of prosecution.
The "Times" reports U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly on Monday granted immunity to Robert and Stephen Buha.
The immunity is good as long as the Buhas don't commit perjury, give false statements or fail otherwise to comply with the order. It is not known when the Buhas will be called to testify.
The two chose to invoke their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent in the previous trial. Snyder's legal defense team later claimed the Buhas were threatened by prosecutors.
Snyder, the former Republican Mayor, was indicted in late 2016 and was found guilty in early 2019 of the bribery charge and federal tax violations.
The bribery verdict was overturned in late 2019, and a former judge in the case decided Snyder must face a new jury on the bribery charge.
This is now the second week in Snyder's new trial. He is still waiting on sentencing on the tax violations.
