JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel was arrested Wednesday after surrendering to authorities at the county jail in Jeffersonville.

Noel is facing 15 felony charges: one count of corrupt business influence, one count of obstruction of justice, five counts of theft, four counts of ghost employment and four counts of official misconduct. 

His arrest comes nearly three months after Indiana State Police served several search warrants at his home on Old Tay Bridge in Jeffersonville back in August. The search was part of an ISP investigation requested by Clark County Sheriff Scottie Maples, who served as deputy chief under Noel for several years before being elected sheriff in November 2022.

In a statement following Noel's arrest Wednesday, Maples said he and his team "discovered many unnerving and possible criminal activities by Jamey Noel" in the early months of his term and reported them to state police, which began an investigation.

Maples said he began uncovering the issues shortly after he took office in December 2022 when he discovered a "secret recording device (wiretap)" in the office of the former assistant chief that had been "planted" during Noel's term and "led directly" to Noel's former office. That's when Maples ordered an office-wide review that revealed "more disturbing information," he said.

Secondly, Maples said he learned Noel had ordered several sheriff's office employees to "work and perform maintenance on his personal property, investment properties, and business properties," while being paid to work at the sheriff's office.

Shortly after taking office, Maples said an officer "abruptly resigned and requested a retirement benefit." But because the officer did not qualify for the pension, command staff began looking into his request and found "documents that appeared to have been falsified, forged, and destroyed to fraudulently make it appear that this person was owed a pension, in which they were not," Maples said. "That former employee was also a family member of Jamey Noel."

Maples said following the discovery of the wiretap, employees self-reported that they had been forced to work on Noel's "personal projects" while on-duty. He also said he discovered that Noel allegedly "participated in an attempt to defraud the pension system."

"I was disturbed and very disappointed in Jamey Noel's conduct and the steps he took to conceal information from his staff and me during his tenure as sheriff, but I knew something had to be done," Maples said Wednesday. "I assure you that my command staff and myself are committed to doing what is best for the citizens of Clark County. No man is above the law, not even the sheriff."

Noel is also the chief and CEO of New Chapel Fire and EMS, which provides services across Clark and Floyd counties. The same time ISP searched Noel's home, State police troopers also served search warrants at the station on Utica Pike in Utica, Indiana, the station on Charlestown Road in northern Floyd County, Indiana, and the station on Utica Sellersburg Road in Jeffersonville. He also serves as chair of the Clark County Republican Party.

Noel's initial hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Clark County Courthouse. He's currently being held at the Scott County Jail.

This is a developing story that will be updated as more details become available.

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