Former Indiana sheriff Jamey Noel took the witness stand Monday and agreed to plead guilty to 27 felonies in the sweeping corruption probe of staggering crimes he was accused of committing while in office.
Noel, 53, had been charged with 31 counts accusing him of stealing more than $5 million in public money to buy a train, an airplane, more than 130 custom cars, designer clothes, lavish trips and college tuitions, as well as paying child support to his mistress, according to prosecutors.
On Monday, he agreed to a plea deal with the investigation's Special Prosecutor Richard Hertel. In exchange for pleading guilty to charges including theft, tax evasion, public corruption and money laundering, he would serve 12 years in state prison, and three years of probation.
But Special Judge Larry Medlock took the plea deal under advisement, saying he wanted to hear testimony from Noel's victims in open court to determine whether the time behind bars is enough.
“I’d like to talk to the victims and see if this is an appropriate statement," Medlock said from the bench. He will schedule a sentencing hearing at a later date, the judge said.
After Monday's hearing, the special prosecutor told reporters, "It has been a ride."
He expressed gratitude to investigators and other law enforcement agencies that aided the 14-month probe of Noel's tenure as sheriff from 2015 to January 2023.
"They should be given a ticker-tape parade," Hertel said.
The defendant, who simultaneously served as sheriff and the head of a nonprofit fire agency, used county funds and fire agency money as his personal piggy bank, authorities said.
“I want to hear from EMS workers who lost their jobs," the judge said. "And if I don’t accept it, we’ll start all over and it’ll be like nothing happened.”
Noel has been jailed since April, when an angry Medlock ruled him in contempt for having guns in his house, which was a violation of his bond conditions. Medlock also upped Noel's bail to $1.5 million cash.
On Monday, Noel agreed to repay nearly $3 million to the Utica Township Volunteers Firefighters Association, more than $60,000 to theClark County Sheriff's Department and more than $35 000 to Indiana State Police
Noel, the former Clark County sheriff and local GOP chairman, has been under investigation by state police for more than a year. He originally pleaded not guilty to 31 felonies alleging he stole millions from a nonprofit fire agency he headed, as well as from jail commissary funds that he oversaw.On Friday, a judge had approved a motion filed by Noel's attorney for a change of plea hearing.
Noel's wife, Misty, and their eldest daughter, Kasey, have all been charged with multiple felony counts in the investigation. Both have pleaded not guilty and are free on bond.
State investigators allege the Noels spent money that wasn't theirs on clothes, plastic surgery, beauty appointments, air travel, Amazon purchases, booze, cigars and lavish meals at local restaurants.
Misty Noel filed for divorce earlier this month.
Also on Monday, Jamey Noel's former mistress, Brittney Ferree, was arraigned on one count of felony conflict of interest after she surrendered to authorities late Friday evening, authorities said.
Ferree, who was a former council woman, has previously acknowledged she has a child with Jamey Noel and that she voted on budget items affecting Noel's department while they were involved, according to search warrant affidavits filed in court.
Ferree pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.John Miller, who serves as a nearby Clarksville police officer and is currently a Clark County councilman, was also arrested Friday and charged with felony conflict of interested for allegedly accepting gifts from Jamey Noel.
Miller also pleaded not guilty and was released on bail.
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