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Former Monroe County Auditor Sentenced To House Arrest

Last updated on Tuesday, July 25, 2017

(BLOOMINGTON) - Former Monroe County Auditor Steve Saulter was sentenced to serve three months on house arrest after pleading guilty to a felony charge of official misconduct.

Saulter, 65, pleaded guilty to illegally using a his county issued credit card to purchase items and to buy his late wife's medications. In exchange for the guilty plea, three counts of fraud were dismissed.

Lawrence County Judge William Sleva was appointed as special judge in the case.

Judge Sleva suspended a one year sentence in jail and ordered Saulter to serve 275 days on probation after his release from this three-month term on house arrest. He must also pay $185 in court costs.

If Saulter successfully completes probation, Judge Sleva ruled that Saulter's felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor.

Saulter resigned from his position as auditor in 2016 after Special Prosecutor Stanley Levco from Evansville charged Saulter with three counts of felony fraud and one count of official misconduct for using his county-issued credit card 15 times to purchase food and medicine. The purchases, made in September and October of 2015, were recorded on store video cameras.

Saulter admitted making the $620 in purchases at Walmart, Kroger and Marsh, but told a detective he "accidentally" used the office credit card instead of his personal debit card because he was under a lot of personal stress at the time and the cards were similar in appearance. Saulter's wife had been ill, and she died on February 14 of this year.

Saulter, a Democrat, served as county auditor for 3.5 years before he resigned in July 2016.

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