LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More details have come to light in the case against the former southern Indiana sheriff accused of having county employees work on his personal property and run errands for him while on the clock.
Indiana State Police arrested the former Clark County sheriff, Jamey Noel, in November. He is charged with a total of 15 felonies including corrupt business influence, theft, official misconduct and ghost employment.
In court documents filed on Wednesday, Noel is also accused of paying former Scott County Sheriff Kenneth Hughbanks with jail commissary funds. He was paid about $265,590 from March 2015 to December 2022 according to an investigation from Indiana authorities, the State Board of Accounts and the Department of Revenue.
In April 2018, Hughbanks became the new Scott County sheriff, having previously served in the Clark County Sheriff's Office between 2004 and 2016, according to Clark County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Grube.
Hughbanks served as sheriff for eight months before returning to the Clark County Sheriff's Office; he then resigned in December 2019, documents show. However, he continued working with the sheriff's office as part of his consulting business, Hughbanks Enterprise LLC.
Those consulting fees were paid out of the Clark County Sheriff's Office Commissary Fund by Noel according to authorities.
Investigators found Hughbanks' father's electrical business was paid almost $16,000 in commissary funds as well.
A witness told police that Hughbanks declined to take a 1099 tax form related to the payments because then he'd have to pay taxes on them.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024.
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