Investigation says former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel used fire department funds for child support

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A former southern Indiana sheriff used fire department funds to pay for child support, according to court documents.

Indiana State Police are investigating former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel on corruption and fraud charges. Noel has been charged with 15 felonies related to fraud, theft, misconduct and public corruption.

In a search warrant made public on Monday, investigators said Noel fathered a child with a woman who isn't his wife and paid many of his child support payments with funds from the Utica Volunteer Fire Department, which he led.

Noel did not claim the support payments on his payroll or taxes as required by law. The annual child support payment was more than $25,000.

Court documents also claim Noel sold the child's mother a 2015 BMW in January 2023 for $21,000, but vehicle records show the fire department owned the car. ISP investigators couldn't find a check for the $21,000 in any of the financial records for Noel, his wife, daughter or any other business entities.

A search warrant claims the car transaction is another example of “layering” through various accounts and businesses to make it harder to track money or assets.

The search warrant said ISP anticipates providing the special prosecutor in Noel's case with more information for potential additional charges against the former sheriff.

Noel is scheduled to return to court in Jeffersonville on Jan. 16 for a pre-trial conference. He was previously released on a $75,000 bond.

The former southern Indiana sheriff was arrested in November on 15 felony charges of theft, fraud, ghost employment and corruption. The charges stem from a nearly yearlong investigation by Noel's successor, current Sheriff Scottie Maples, and Indiana State Police.

Maples said he began uncovering issues and "possible criminal activities" shortly after he took office in December 2022, including the discovery of a wiretap. He also said employees were reporting that they were forced to work on Noel's "personal projects" while on-duty and being paid by the sheriff's office and taxpayer dollars. Maples also said he discovered that Noel allegedly "participated in an attempt to defraud the pension system."

ISP served several search warrants at his home on Old Tay Bridge in Jeffersonville in August. The search was part of the state police agency's investigation, requested by Maples, who served as deputy chief under Noel for several years before being elected sheriff in November 2022. Last month, investigators served additional warrants in the investigation at Noel's home, properties he owned and businesses he ran.

When serving the additional warrants in the fall of 2023, detectives 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.

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