A man at the center of a scandal that led to the removal of Kosciusko County’s sheriff is accused of using the same forms of intimidation in community corrections that were alleged in court earlier this year.
Kevin Bronson is scheduled to appear in Elkhart court for an alleged violation of the terms of community corrections.
He is serving a seven-year sentence in Elkhart County Community Corrections in a work release program.
Bronson pleaded guilty in July to one count of corrupt business influence in a scheme to raise money for a movie deal that ensnarled then-sheriff Aaron Rovenstine.
Bronson pocketed most of the money and the investors lost their funds.
During the trial of Bronson’s co-defendant, former Grace Seminary professor Mark Soto, Bronson bragged he lived a lavish lifestyle in the Kosciusko County Jail and enjoyed other privileges most other inmates never experience.
In the trial, witnesses said Bronson used persuasion and intimidation to win favors and attract money for the film project.
Witness testified Bronson often threatened backlash from the Aryan Brotherhood if he didn’t get his way.
On Tuesday, the community corrections staff in Elkhart filed a violation of terms. Officers claim Bronson was threatening corrections employees.
One of the threats happened as a corrections case manager was discussing Bronson’s failed job that was part of his work release.
A case manager sat down with Bronson to discuss progress. The manager informed Bronson he intended to write a negative employment report to community corrections because he was “creeping” people out at the job site, GDC Inc. in Elkhart County.
GDC sent Bronson back to community corrections, saying he was not a good fit for the company.
A representative for GDC complained Bronson was talking about “how she smelled good” and liked every time she walked by “because of how good she smelled,” records state.
Bronson suggested he and the corrections manager resolve their differences, and then tried to claim his case was different because he was famous due to media attention from the scandal.
Bronson then tried to tout his purported associations with the Aryan Brotherhood and the mafia. “I would hope the employees here have read the same thing you have and read enough of the internet to realize you don’t want to poke a tiger that even Washington, D.C., backed away from,” records state.
Court records show Bronson was warned multiple times not to invoke the mafia and Aryan Brotherhood in conversations.
Community corrections allege “Bronson has made viable to threats to the safety of all employeess associated with (community corrections) that may be done at his hand, the mafia or the Aryan Brotherhood,” court records state.
Community corrections officials are asking Bronson either be sent back to Elkhart County Jail or the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Bronson, Rovenstine and Soto were charged in the scandal in which Rovenstine initially faced 10 charges.
Prosectors allege Bronson raised funds for a movie about Bronson’s life with Soto by threatening repercussions from the Aryan Brotherhood, a prison gang.
Soto was later convicted of two counts of corrupt business influence and one count of intimidation.
Soto is appealing his case.
Bronson claimed the Brotherhood would kill people if the movie was never made.
Rovenstine was charged with agreeing to be included in Bronson’s will in exchange for allowing Bronson special privileges in jail.
All charges connecting Bronson to Rovenstine were dropped, and Rovenstine pleaded guilty to intimidation involving Warsaw Police Lt. Paul Heaton.
