Several people tied to Jamey Noel have been named in court documents, but not charged, in the sprawling criminal investigation of the former Indiana sheriff. Noel is charged with 31 felonies alleging he stole more than $5 million in public funds.
Jamey Noel, the former Indiana sheriff charged with 31 felonies in a sprawling corruption investigation, had several colleagues, relatives and friends associated with his "schemes," according to authorities.
Currently, Noel, his wife, Misty, and their daughter, Kasey, face a slew of criminal counts including theft, tax evasion, official misconduct and obstruction of justice. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.
Those who have been named in court documents, but not charged, include Noel's brother-in-law, a former county council woman who had an affair with Noel and gave birth to their child, a former county auditor who acknowledged passing investigation details to Noel after he was charged, and a longtime friend and colleague who was paid as a "consultant" to Noel's Clark County Sheriff's Office while serving as the top law enforcement officer of a neighboring county.
Special prosecutor Richard Hertel tells Inside Edition Digital that "time will tell" whether those associates will face charges down the road.
"We are looking at possible criminal acts, or roles played in the many Noel schemes, and are unsure if any actions rise to the level of criminal conduct," he says.
Meanwhile, "the investigation is still full throttle," as are discussions with attorneys representing those who are named but not charged in connection with alleged wrongdoing, Hertel says.
The Indiana State Police investigation began one year ago when Noel's successor met with state officers and blew the whistle on alleged corruption during Noel's tenure as sheriff from 2015 to January 2023, when he stepped down because of term limits.
One allegation by new Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples concerned paperwork Maples said he found that had been falsified to award pension benefits to a deputy who did not deserve them, he wrote.
The documents made "it appear that this person was owed a pension, which they were not." That person was Noel's brother-in-law, Bradley Kramer.
At one point, Kramer was named a person of interest in the case, according to his attorney, Jennifer Culotta. Immunity talks with prosecutors ended in April after Kramer spoke with investigators, she said.
Culotta says she doesn't know if Kramer will face charges or if he is still a person of interest. Her client doesn't deserve to be charged, she says. Kramer was manipulated by his former boss, she says.
"I think that Jamey Noel used him like he used everybody else in his orbit," she tells Inside Edition Digital. "The investigation will reveal that a lot other people were involved, but they talked (to prosecutors) first," Culotta says.
"The prosecution is going to keep after this until Mr. Noel accepts responsibility for what he did," she says. "I don't see an end in sight for this, until they uncover every stone."
A request for comment to Noel's attorney from Inside Edition Digital was not answered.
Noel remains behind bars in neighboring Scott County. Special Judge Larry Medlock, who has expressed anger in court over Noel's behavior, sentenced him April 9 to 60 days for contempt of court after ruling Noel violated the terms of his bail.
Earlier this month, the judge hiked Noel's cash bond to a stunning $1.5 million, which included the $75,000 cash bail Noel posted after his November arrest. The 60-day sentence has been served, but Noel remains in jail, apparently unable to pay the cash bail.
"You were out flaunting luxuries acquired allegedly at the expense of taxpayers," Medlock admonished the defendant. "With all those luxuries, you should be able to post (bond) with no problems, with everything that you have."
The Indiana Attorney General has ordered all of Noel's assets frozen, including those of his wife and their three daughters.
The state's top prosecutor filed civil cases in May, seeking repayment of hundreds of thousands of dollars Noel allegedly stole from a Clark County jail fund, which were detailed in a state audit.
Noel, his wife, and Kasey allegedly used bank accounts and credit cards in the fire agency's name to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tanning services, cosmetics, clothing, Netflix, vape products, beauty appointments and Amazon orders, according to authorities.
Noel is accused of spending millions in stolen funds to pay for luxury vacations, designer clothes, a private plane, 133 classic cars, and a train locomotive. He is also accused of using county employees as his personal gophers and handymen, while they were on county time.
Another person mentioned, but not charged, in the state investigation is Kenneth Hughbanks, a longtime friend and on-and-off employee of the Clark County Sheriff's Department for 11 years, beginning in 2004, according to court records.
Hughbanks was also sheriff of neighboring Scott County from April to December of 2018.
The state audit conducted earlier this year also said Hughbanks had been paid more than $280,000 by Noel from the jail fund for unexplained "consulting services."
Hughbanks billed those consulting services from 2015 to October 2020, on behalf of his company, Hughbanks Enterprises LLC, the audit said. Hughbanks was also receiving a salary as a Clark County sheriff's employee during parts of that period, authorities said.
The state Attorney General listed Hughbanks as a defendant in the civil actions against Noel. The attorney general is seeking reimbursement from Hughbanks for those unsupported consulting bills.
Hughbanks was also receiving wages from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office while serving as the Scott County sheriff, audit investigators said in their report.
Hughbanks has not commented publicly on the state findings. His attorney did not return a request for comment from Inside Edition Digital, and he has not yet filed a response in court to the attorney general's suit.
State criminal investigators have searched his home and business and seized financial and other documents, according to search warrant affidavits filed in the case.
The state investigation also named two women associated with Noel. Brittney Ferree, a former Clark County councilwoman, had an affair with Noel while both were in office, which produced a son, state prosecutors said.
Noel is accused of using fire agency funds to pay more than $100,000 in court-ordered child support, which averaged about $25,000 a year, according to affidavits filed in court by state investigators.
Ferree has been questioned by investigators but has not been charged, according to court records.
Her attorney sent this response to Inside Edition Digital's request for comment about the relationship between Ferree and Noel.
"Ms. Ferree has a child with Mr. Noel. There is an order in place regarding custody, parenting time and support," the response says. "Ms. Ferree has no knowledge of the personal finances, income, or spending habits of Mr. Noel. My client has no further comment."
Former county auditor Jessica Huffman also had an undefined "relationship" with Noel that involved drinks at a bar and professional baseball games, according to affidavits filed in court by state investigators. Huffman also acknowledged passing information about the ongoing state investigation to Noel, the investigators allege.
Huffman's cellphone was seized by investigators and she was questioned by investigators, according to probable cause affidavits filed in the criminal case.
Huffman's attorney declined comment this week when contacted by Inside Edition Digital.
"There is a possibility for charges on other individuals," says special prosecutor Hertel. "But it's not a certainty. Time will tell."
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