INDIANAPOLIS – The Hendricks County prosecutor has reached a plea agreement with a former Indiana Department of Corrections employee who was charged with level 6 felonies for official misconduct, fraud, and conspiracy to commit theft in May of 2025. The charges were the result of an investigation conducted by the Indiana Office of Inspector General, with full cooperation from the DOC.
The charges alleged that Jacob Kauth, a former correctional lieutenant at the DOC’s Plainfield Correctional Facility, approved or submitted false time records for a subordinate employee he was in a romantic relationship with and who lived with him. Allegedly, Kauth benefited from more than 98 hours of falsified time, resulting in a loss to the state of $3,163.90 in gross overpayments.
The scheme was uncovered after a DOC audit found that Kauth’s employee did not enter the facility on multiple dates and had not submitted proper time slips. Kauth was terminated from DOC on June 18, 2024.
The Hendricks County prosecutor reached a plea agreement with Kauth on August 31, 2026, which includes pleading guilty to fraud, which was entered as an alternative misdemeanor. As part of the sentence, Kauth agreed to repay the state $3,163.90 in restitution, attend a theft class, and complete 80 hours of community service while serving one year of probation.
“State employees are taxpayer-paid employees – and they are expected and entrusted to serve Hoosiers honestly and responsibly,” said Indiana Inspector General Jared Prentice. “Falsifying time records is a gross violation of that public trust. Our office will continue working with agency partners and prosecutors to hold individuals accountable when criminal activity and misconduct occur. We owe that to the hard-working people of Indiana.”
