Mark Soto is seeking to vacate two of three convictions that a jury issued against him in a case that was part of scandal that entangled then-sheriff Aaron Rovenstine.
A motion filed Wednesday asks the court to make a judgment on the evidence and find Soto not guilty of two convictions for corrupt business influence.
Soto was indicted with former martial arts instructor Kevin Bronson and Rovenstine in February 2016.
Soto, a former Grace seminary professor, was convicted on two counts of corrupt business influence and one count of intimidation on Aug. 8.
He had faced six charges, but was acquitted of two counts of intimidation and one count of corrupt business influence.
Prosecutors allege Soto used a “pattern and series of acts of intimidation against various individuals” to raise money for a proposed movie to be made about Bronson.
Bronson, who has a long criminal history, claimed the movie was to be made about his conversion to Christianity.
Soto’s attorneys, Scott Lennox and Joe Sobek, argue in their motion that the jury verdicts were inconsistent.
The motion argues that since Soto was only convicted of one count of intimidation, it can’t be true that Soto engaged in a “pattern or series of intimidation.”
The motion argues as well that “no other evidence of the defendant engaging in a pattern of intimidating conduct was presented during the defendant’s trial.”
The motion quotes Indiana trial rules to support their argument. The motion was forwarded to Special Judge Stephen Bowers for consideration.
Soto is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28.
Special prosecutor Tami Napier did not return a call seeking comment on the motion as of press time this morning.
