The fall from grace of Indiana's Jamey Noel, a former sheriff and political leader in Clark County, is stunning. He's now in jail after a judge found him in contempt of court yelled at him from the bench and slammed his gavel so hard it broke.
Jamey Noel is currently in jail. In a massive fall from grace, the once-powerful sheriff and GOP leader of Indiana's Clark County is charged with a stunning list of criminal charges accusing him of using millions in taxpayer funds to buy scores of luxury cars, an airplane, designer clothes, vacation trips and college tuitions for his kids.
It is a massive investigation that has grown ever larger as a special prosecutor continues ordering search warrants on properties belonging to Noel and his wife, Misty. She and the couple's eldest daughter, Kasey, have also been charged with several felonies, including multiple counts of theft and tax evasion.
All three have pleaded not guilty. Misty and Kasey Noel are free on bail.
Noel has been under investigation by Indiana State Police for nearly a year. In that time, he has racked up 25 felony counts, paid an all-cash bail of $75,000 and managed to stay out of jail until a special judge in the criminal case threw him behind bars a few days ago after yelling at him in court and slamming his gavel so hard that the base broke.
"You are not above the law!" Special Judge Larry Medlock shouted last week at the defendant.
"You are not the law. You don't interpret the law. You don't enforce the law," Medlock bellowed from the bench. He declared Noel in contempt of court for violating his bail conditions. "Take him into custody," he told court deputies.
The former top law enforcement officer in Clark County will be jailed for 60 days. The judge's sentence was in response to two semi-automatic weapons recently being found in Noel's basement. In allowing Noel to go free on bail in November, the judge had ordered Noel to turn over all his weapons, save for a single shotgun.
Noel's lawyer had unsuccessfully argued in court that the handguns had been mistakenly overlooked by those sent to collect the weapons.
Here is a look at some of the more egregious accusations against Noel in a long list of criminal charges.
The New Sheriff of Clark County Got the Ball Rolling
Scottie Maples was elected Clark County sheriff in November 2022, after term limits prevented Noel from seeking a third stint in office. Seven months later, Maples went to the Indiana State Police with "unnerving and possible criminal activities by Jamey Noel," he said on his official Facebook page.
Maples reported he had found a hidden wiretap in Noel's old office that led directly to an assistant chief's office. Maples also said he discovered jail employees were being used as Noel's personal gophers and handymen while on the county clock.
Maples also said he turned over falsified documents claiming a deputy was entitled to a pension that he didn't deserve. That deputy was Noel's brother-in-law, authorities said. The brother-in-law has not been charged. His attorney said in a court filing last week that an immunity deal from the special prosecutor had been withdrawn and that her client would plead 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination if called to testify.
Noel Took Out Credit Cards In the Name of Volunteer Fire Agency He Headed While Sheriff: Authorities
Jamey Noel wore several hats as sheriff. He simultaneously headed the county Republican party, the 9th District GOP, and ran a nonprofit firefighting and rescue agency, the Utica Township Volunteer Firefighters Association, also known as New Chapel EMS.
Noel applied for credit cards in the fire agency's name, and then used those cards to purchase millions in personal goods, state police said in court documents filed since the criminal investigation began last year.
While sheriff, Noel registered more than 130 classic cars, including a 1959 Chevy Bel-Air, Corvettes, a Camaro, Mercedes and Cadillacs, according to search warrants filed in court. He later transferred ownership of many vehicles into his name, sold them and pocketed the money, investigators said.
Board members that oversee the agency told state investigators they were unaware of Noel's alleged illegal acts, saying the group had not met in several years and Noel was in total control, according to court documents.
Noel was arrested in November of last year. He posted an all-cash bail of $75,000 an hour after his arrest, according to authorities. But he continued to use the fire agency credit cards even after his arrest, state investigators said in court documents, including ordering more than $3,000 in customized suits and high-end clothing from Tom James Clothing.
In March, state police investigators were waiting with search warrants when the designer clothes were delivered to Noel's house, and they seized several bags of suits, dress slacks, shoes and shirts, according to court documents.
Noel Used the Clark County Jail's Commissary Fund to Buy Other Items, a State Audit Finds
As sheriff, Noel was also in charge of Clark County Jail. Both were featured in two seasons of A&E's reality series "60 Days In," a series that sends undercover citizens to jail for two months. They are filmed by hidden cameras to investigate any abuse or misconduct by both prisoners and corrections staff.
As head of the jail, Noel had control of its commissary fund, which is money raised by selling food, snacks and personal items to incarcerated people.
In February, the Indiana State Board of Accounts released the findings of an audit by state accountants that found more than $900,000 had been spent by Noel in “questionable” and “unsupported” purchases. The state ordered Noel to repay $918,416.23, the audit said.
None of the Noels have publicly commented on the charges against them.
Noel used the commissary money for personal purchases, including a 75-inch television, as well as buying and selling county vehicles in an alleged scheme to benefit himself, authorities said. Included in the audit were more than $260,000 in "consulting" fees to a former deputy that had no description of the services rendered, the state accountants said.
Investigators Say They Found 26 Shipping Containers Full of Missing Military Surplus Equipment
Last month, state investigators announced they had seized 26 shipping containers during their search for more than $7 million in missing military equipment owned by the county, according to court documents.
Inside the containers, investigators said they found a train engine, vehicles, forklifts and tools, according to court documents. Prosecutors allege Noel sold some of the surplus equipment for his own gain, and offered other equipment at discounted rates to people he knew.
The sheriff's department had accepted the surplus military equipment in January 2015 and December 2022, state investigators said, citing an inventory of the goods they obtained from the U.S. Army, according to court documents.
Noel's Trial Date Postponed as Investigators Keep Searching Properties Owned By the Former Sheriff
Last week, the special judge pushed Noel's criminal trial date to Nov. 6. He had been scheduled to begin his trial in May, but that was delayed after the judge ordered him to serve 60 days in jail for contempt.
Special Prosecutor Richard Hertel told Inside Edition Digital last month, "The investigation hasn't slowed down since its inception, probably just the opposite."
"This is an ongoing investigation with criminal charges pending against Jamey Noel, Misty Noel and Kasey Noel," Hertel said. "The possibility for additional charges on Jamey is real."
Kasey’s trial date is scheduled for Aug. 20. Misty’s is scheduled for July 30.
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