Court documents detail search warrants served Friday in Jamey Noel investigation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Court documents released Monday detail what authorities were looking for when they searched several southern Indiana firehouses last week as they investigate the former Clark County sheriff.

Jamey Noel was arrested in November 2023 on 15 charges related to fraud, theft, misconduct and public corruption. The charges stem from a nearly yearlong investigation by Noel's successor, current Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples — who took over the department in December 2022 — and Indiana State Police.

In addition to leading the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Noel also led the Utica Volunteer Fire Department and New Chapel EMS. Last week, court documents revealed Noel charged hundreds of thousands of dollars on a Utica Fire Department credit card. He's also accused of using fire department funds to pay for child support, according to additional court documents.

New court documents obtained by WDRB News on Monday include the six search warrants served by ISP on Friday, Jan. 26, and redacted probable cause affidavits from the searches. Each of the New Chapel Fire Department stations, and its headquarters, were searched as part of the investigation.

The warrants show police were looking for certain vehicles. Investigators believe the vehicles were suspiciously transferred or sold by the Clark County Sheriff's Office when Noel was in charge. Police also looked for radio equipment stolen from the sheriff's office.

Hundreds of pages of court documents unsealed following Noel's arrest in November 2023 detailed evidence found over the course of several months in the investigation. Evidence includes employees reporting they worked at Noel's various properties while on the clock at the sheriff's office or the Clark County Jail and being paid by taxpayers.

Those documents also cite employees who said they poured concrete at a large pole barn Noel built where cars were later stored. One employee said Noel asked him to work extra hours, including on weekends. He expected Noel to pay him directly, but instead his checks came from the Utica Fire Department.

Jamey Noel mugshot. (Source: Clark County Sheriff's Office)

While serving search warrants at Noel's home, properties he owned and businesses he ran, investigators found and seized thousands of dollars in cash Noel had — $6,000 inside a vehicle and more than $50,000 in a dresser drawer. Investigators also found 133 vehicles, seizing dozens of them, that were registered through the Utica Fire Department and New Chapel EMS, including a Charger Hellcat, Escalades and a Corvette Stingray.

Four employees told investigators they built a large garage for the vehicles, bought the cars at auction and transported them. One worker shared nearly 6,000 photos, hundreds of videos and years of text messages between himself and Noel about buying and selling cars. He also had photos of a Clark County Sheriff's Office credit card he said Noel gave him to buy parts for the cars.

The investigation into Noel continues to grow. He's pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was released from jail the day after his arrest after posting a $75,000 bond. Noel is now awaiting trial later this year.

Last week, Indiana Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, proposed an amendment to House Bill 1328. It's an effort to allow taxpayers and stakeholders to understand how every penny in the county is spent, and is in response to the Noel investigation.

The amendment would require local agencies to upload all contracts related to fire or EMS to Indiana's public finance database, Gateway. Current statute requires contracts above $50,000 to be uploaded to Gateway.

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