CLARK CO. – A judge set Jamey Noel’s bond at $75,000 during his first court appearance.
Former Clark County Sheriff and the current Republican Congressional Chairman for District 9, which includes Monroe County, Jamey Noel was arrested for multiple counts of corruption among other charges. Noel is also the Clark County Republican Party Chairman.
He is being charged with one felony count of corrupt business influence, felony obstruction of justice, four felony counts of ghost employment, four felony counts of official misconduct, and five felony counts of theft.
Special Judge Medlock of Washington County traveled to Clark County Circuit Court 1 to preside over Noel’s hearing at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Noel had multiple search warrants served at his home on August 17, which were related to an investigation into public official corruption allegations.
Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples said that the investigation dates back to December 2022, when he discovered a secret recording device in the office of the former assistant chief. Maples says this was planted during Noel’s term and led directly to his former office.
Sheriff Maples says that Noel had several Clark County Sheriff’s Office employees working on his personal, investment, and business properties while being paid by the sheriff’s office.
Following that, Sheriff Maples says that an officer abruptly resigned when he took over for Noel and requested retirement benefits. An investigation into this found that documents were falsified, forged, and destroyed to make it appear that the officer qualified for a pension, Maples says.
The officer was also a family member of Noel’s, according to Maples.
Sheriff Maples issued the following statement on the findings:
“After finding the listening device, having employees self-report that they had been forced to work on former Sheriff Jamey Noel’s personal projects while on duty and discovering that he allegedly participated in an attempt to defraud the pension system that so many of our dedicated employees deserve, I called the Indiana State Police.
“I was disturbed and very disappointed in Jamey Noel’s conduct and the steps he took to conceal information from his staff and me during his tenure as Sheriff, but I knew something had to be done. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office employees and I have cooperated extensively with the ISP investigation and will continue to do everything we can to ensure anyone who took advantage of the office is held fully accountable.
“January 1, 2023, was a new day for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. I assure you that my command staff and myself are committed to doing what is best for the citizens of Clark County. No man is above the law, not even the Sheriff. I will continue to serve you honestly, fairly, and with transparency, just as I w
