Investigators taking closer look at Jamey Noel's credit card spending in theft, fraud case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Investigators are taking a closer look at more credit card spending by a former southern Indiana sheriff that may have been funded by taxpayer money.

New search warrants released Monday show Indiana State Police want to know whether former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, his wife Misty and their daughter Kasey, used fire department funds to pay for almost $60,000 in numerous charges.

Those include flights through Allegiant Airlines, Cincinnati Reds tickets, Rolex watches, electric bills and Riverlink toll charges for numerous vehicles.

Noel served as Clark County sheriff from 2015-23 and also led New Chapel Fire/EMS and the Utica Township Volunteer Fire Department. He faces 31 charges related to allegations he used millions of dollars from the agencies for his own use. Charges also include misconduct, ghost employment and public corruption.

The former sheriff is accused of using credit cards from the agencies to fund his and his family's lifestyle — paying for a massive car collection, an airplane, and bills for his kids — including rent and college tuition — among other things.

Noel was arrested in November 2023 on 15 felony charges related to fraud, misconduct, theft, ghost employment and public corruption after a nearly yearlong investigation, which remains ongoing. Another 10 charges were filed against him in early February, including theft and tax evasion.

He'd been out of jail after posting a $75,000 cash bond. As one of the terms of his release, Noel was prohibited from having firearms, aside from a shotgun for "personal protection." But he was ordered to appear in court after two pistols were found by Indiana State Police detectives during a search of the family home.

Medlock ordered Noel back to jail for 60 days, finding him in contempt of court.

Six new charges were filed against Noel in early June. According to court documents, those include one count of money laundering and five additional counts of theft. In total, he now faces 31 charges.

Medlock increased Noel's bond amount to $1.5 million a day after the new charges were levied against him, so he was not released from jail at the end of his 60-day sentence.

Some of the theft accusations against Noel were outlined in an audit released in April of the Utica Township Volunteer Firefighters association and New Chapel EMS. The audit revealed Noel used taxpayer money to pay for vacations, Rolex watches, high-end clothing, child support, college tuition and more. The Indiana State Board of Accounts conducted the audit for the period of Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2023.

From 2019 to 2023, auditors said New Chapel received a total of $3.9 million in public money from Clark and Floyd counties. Over that same 4-year time period, Noel was paid $582,564 in wages, as listed on his W-2. But auditors said he was paid even more money off the books. Over that 4-year period, auditors said New Chapel made $4.4 million in payments on an American Express credit card — $2 million of which Noel spent alone.

The audit details the roughly $4.4 million Noel, his wife Misty, and daughter Kasey all racked up on the New Chapel EMS American Express credit card, roughly between 2019 and the end of 2023.

Noel and his family are now being ordered by the state to pay all of the money back, which is an estimated $4.4 million. That's in addition to the $918,000 he's been asked to repay after a state audit of the Clark County Sheriff's Office Jail Commissary fund. The audit covered 2015-17 and 2019-22.

A May court ruling prohibits the Noels from selling any assets as part of the state's civil suit against the former sheriff to recover the millions of dollars in alleged misused public money.

The ruling came after Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita asked a judge to issue an injunction and a restraining order to stop Noel, and his family, from selling assets such as cars, homes, jewelry and clothing so all public funds can be paid back. Ultimately, the judge issued the temporary restraining order to block sales of the Noel family's assets, which are now frozen.

Noel remains in the Scott County Jail on the $1.5 million bond after the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected an appeal from his attorneys that claimed the terms of his original $75,000 bond were too excessive.

The appeals court ruling issued on June 20 found the conditions of Noel's original bond were "not an abuse of discretion," with the court saying it was "unpersuaded" by the arguments presented by Noel's attorneys.

A jury trial for Noel is scheduled to begin in November.

Misty and Kasey Noel are facing multiple felony charges for theft and tax evasion, but are out of jail on bond. Kasey Noel was arrested in March on nine felony charges, including five counts of theft and four counts of tax evasion. Search warrants in the corruption case of Jamey Noel indicate his daughter charged more than $100,000 to the Utica Volunteer Fire Department and New Chapel EMS.

According to the detailed charges, Kasey Noel purchased clothing, tanning, cosmetics, manicure and pedicure services, food, tickets, trips, alcohol, utilities, vaping products, gas, Netflix and items from Amazon. The charges occurred between October 2018 and September 2023, totaling $108,660.59.

To date, investigators have made public more than 60 search warrants and their findings since their probe began last summer, each outlining evidence seized or otherwise learned in the case.

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