LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, who could face 15 years in prison, is scheduled to learn his sentence on Monday after pleading guilty to 27 felonies. 

On Aug. 26, Noel pleaded guilty to theft, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, money laundering, corrupt business influence and official misconduct. Noel agreed to the plea deal nearly a year after he was arrested and Indiana State Police investigators raided his home in southern Indiana.

Special Judge Larry Medlock took the plea deal under advisement. Before accepting the plea agreement, Medlock said he wanted to hear from anyone in the community who's been harmed. That is expected to happen Monday morning.

As part of the plea deal, Noel was ordered to pay more than $3.1 million in restitution to four different public agencies:

  • $2,870,924 to Utica Township Volunteers Firefighters Association (dba New Chapel EMS)
  • $173,155.07 to the Indiana Department of Revenue
  • $61,190.77 to the Clark County Sheriff's Department
  • $35,245.60 to Indiana State Police 

Four of Noel's charges of felony ghost employment were dismissed as part of the deal. He agreed to serve a total sentence of 15 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with three years suspended to probation. He'll receive credit for days served, beginning June 8, 2024. 

Noel has been in custody in the Scott County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. His jury trial was scheduled to begin in November.

His estranged wife, Misty Noel, and their daughter Kasey Noel are also expected in court on Monday for hearings.

What led to Jamey Noel's arrest?

Much of the damning evidence in the case has been released as part of the lengthy investigation into Noel's corruption and use of public funds to support he and his family's lavish lifestyle. Noel, who served as Clark County Sheriff from 2015-23 and also led New Chapel Fire/EMS and the Utica Township Volunteer Fire Department, has for months faced allegations he used millions of dollars from the agencies for his own use. 

The former sheriff is accused of using credit cards from the agencies to pay for a massive car collection, an airplane and bills for his kids, including rent and college tuition. There are millions of dollars in charges, all outlined in official court documents.

Noel was arrested in November 2023 on 15 felony charges related to fraud, misconduct, theft, ghost employment and public corruption after a nearly year-long investigation. More charges were filed against him in early February, including theft and tax evasion.

He had been out of jail after posting a $75,000 cash bond. As one of the terms of his release, he 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.

Special Judge Larry Medlock ordered him 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 included one count of money laundering and five additional counts of theft. Medlock increased his 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. 

That completed the total of 31 charges that Noel faced at the time of Monday's plea.

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 he used taxpayer money to pay for vacations, Rolex watches, high-end clothing, child support, college tuition and more.

The Indiana State Board of Accounts said, from 2019-23, New Chapel received a total of $3.9 million in public money from Clark and Floyd counties. Over that same four-year 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 four-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. 

As part of the ongoing investigation, Noel and his family were 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 prohibited 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.

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. 

Charges against Noel's family

Misty Noel, who has since filed for divorce from her husband, and their daughter, Kasey Noel, are also implicated in the case, facing multiple felony charges for theft and tax evasion. They have each pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and are out of jail on bond. 

A jury trial for Kasey Noel was set to start Tuesday, Aug. 20. Instead, it was delayed during a court hearing that day until Medlock issued a ruling on a request asking that their trials be joined. The two petitioned the court Aug. 6 to have their cases combined, since they both face similar charges connected to the investigation into Jamey Noel. 

The charges against Noel's wife, Misty Noel, require a 12-person jury. The charges against their daughter, Kasey, require just six people.

On Sept. 5, a court filing by Misty Noel's attorney stated she would stick with the larger jury and their cases would not be combined. 

Misty Noel was charged with 10 felonies in the case. She was arrested in February and spent a weekend in the Scott County Detention Center before her first court appearance and was released from jail after posting a $30,000 cash bond. 

Kasey Noel was arrested in April 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 Kasey Noel charged more than $100,000 to the Utica Township Volunteer Firefighters Association and New Chapel EMS. 

According to court documents listing items purchased, Kasey Noel made the following purchases totaling $108,660.59 between October 2018 and September 2023:

  • Clothing
  • Tanning
  • Cosmetics
  • Manicure and pedicure services
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Trips
  • Alcohol
  • Utilities
  • Vaping products
  • Gas
  • Netflix
  • Items from Amazon

In court on Oct. 7, Misty and Kasey Noel were there to discuss plans for their trial, scheduled for the same day — Oct. 28 — but a plea deal may now be in the works.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys told Judge Larry Medlock they are working on a plea agreement for the both of them.

"We have been in negotiation for quite some period of time," said Ric Hertel, special prosecutor. "We don't have a resolution at this time, but we are working and continue to work toward a potential plea agreement to offer to the court for review and possible acceptance, but we are not there yet at this point and time."

The attorneys want to have a resolution brought to court in the near future.

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