DUBOIS COUNTY – The Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board accepted Dubois County Sheriff Thomas Kleinhelter’s voluntary relinquishment of his law enforcement certification on Monday. However, because the office of county sheriff is an elected position under the Indiana Constitution, the disciplinary action does not remove him from office.
Kleinhelter will continue to serve as the county’s chief law enforcement official without the state law enforcement credentials required of standard police officers. Indiana’s constitutional framework dictates that a sheriff’s authority is derived directly from voters rather than state regulatory boards.
He also faces pending criminal charges in Marion County, where prosecutors allege he lied to Indiana State Police (ISP) investigators during a lengthy public integrity probe into the misuse of public funds and abuse of office. Kleinhelter has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
“Really, this probably doesn’t change much until he’s done being sheriff,” ISP Superintendent Anthony Scott, who chairs the training board, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. “He’s an elected official, so technically, we can’t take that away from him.”
During its Monday session, the training board voted to approve a settlement agreement finalizing the surrender of Kleinhelter’s certification. Board member Russ McQuaid abstained, while all other members voted in favor.
The agreement required Kleinhelter to resign from the training board, a provision that had already been rendered moot after Governor Mike Braun removed him from the body in April. According to the documents, the surrender “does not constitute an admission of misconduct” and was executed to resolve the administrative case without a formal evidentiary hearing.
“I voluntarily gave up the certification, and if you have read it, there is no finding or admission of any wrongdoing,” Kleinhelter wrote in a brief email response following the vote. “NO FURTHER COMMENT.”
The decision takes effect immediately, effectively halting Kleinhelter’s ability to act as a police officer outside his specific role in Dubois County.
Tim Horty, executive director of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, explained Klleinhelt got his appointment through the Indiana State Constitution, so he doesn’t need the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification to be sheriff, but now he has no law enforcement authority outside of his sheriff responsibility, so when he leaves the sheriff’s office, he cannot be a police officer anywhere in the state.
Kleinhelter’s name will be added to state and national decertification databases, including those managed by the ILEA and the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. While he can theoretically petition for reinstatement in the future, it would require explicit board approval.
The state’s investigation into Kleinhelter spans multiple years and involves independent reviews by audit teams and criminal prosecutors. The progression of the case includes several key developments:
- Summer 2024 (SBOA Audit): A routine state audit identified approximately $78,000 in improper discretionary spending from the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office commissary fund between 2021 and 2023. Questionable costs included personal travel, meals, Blackstone grills, and Visa gift cards. Notably, the fund financed trips taken by Kleinhelter’s wife, who was not a department employee.
- Late 2024 (ISP Investigation): The State Board of Accounts referred the audit to the Indiana State Police. Investigators discovered additional irregularities, including a backdated form on Kleinhelter’s laptop attempting to appoint his wife as a “special deputy” to retroactively justify her travel expenses. Documents also showed $8,700 withdrawn for a canceled 2025 trip to Dubai that was not refunded to the commissary fund until months later.
- February 2025 (Initial Prosecutorial Review): Special Prosecutor Holly Hudelson of Orange County reviewed the ISP investigative file and declined to file criminal charges regarding the misappropriation of funds. Kleinhelter publicly maintained his innocence, emphasizing that he had fully repaid the disputed amounts and acted without criminal intent.
- April 2026 (Marion County Criminal Charges): Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears filed criminal charges based on statements Kleinhelter made during a recorded December 19, 2024, interview conducted in Indianapolis. The state alleges the sheriff knowingly provided false material statements regarding the handling of refunded public funds and the deputy appointment.
Kleinhelter is currently charged with one Level 6 felony count of official misconduct and three Class B misdemeanor counts of false informing.
Following the filing of criminal charges, the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office released a statement noting the development came as a “shock” but asserted that the department’s operations would proceed smoothly. “The pending case does not change our mission or our commitment to it,” the agency stated, adding that its officers would continue to perform their duties with competence and integrity.
A criminal pretrial conference for the sheriff’s felony case is scheduled in Marion County for June 30, 2026. Local officials and constituents in Dubois County must now determine how they wish to navigate the remaining duration of the sheriff’s elected term.
