County demands money back after audit finds Lake sheriff was overpaid

Lake Co. Sheriff Martinez starts to repay county for overpayment of benefits

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez will have to gradually repay $157,785 to the county through a deduction from his semimonthly paycheck for the overpayment of benefits he had been receiving since he took office in 2017. The Lake County Council sent a letter June 10 to Lake County Auditor Peggy Katona, directing her to recover the money. Katona said the first deduction was made from Sheriff Martinez’s July 28 paycheck. She said the first deducti…

County demands money back after audit finds Lake sheriff was overpaid

"It's the taxpayers' money," said Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago. "And we felt that he owed it back to the taxpayers."