John Jefferson
Jamey Noel (WDRB/YouTube).
An Indiana sheriff used county taxpayer money as his own personal slush fund to allow him and his family to live a life of luxury which included purchases of an airplane, classic cars and Rolex watches.
On Monday, a judge sentenced Jamey Noel, who served as sheriff of Clark County from 2015 to 2022, to 15 years in prison. The judge suspended three of those years which will be served as probation. He also must pay $270,000 in fines and more than $3 million in restitution. Noel in August pleaded guilty to 27 charges including business influence, theft, tax evasion and official misconduct, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.
Judge Larry Medlock admonished Noel before sentencing him.
“One outlandish discovery after another,” Medlock said, according to Louisville Fox affiliate WDRB. “You have failed everyone … bullying those who would not submit to your will.”
The list of items he bought was brazen, indeed. In addition to Sheriff, Noel also headed up the New Chapel Fire and EMS where he used a credit card to buy an astonishing $4.4 million worth of goodies for himself. Those included: $15,000 on Rolexes, $25,000 for a Cessna airplane plus another $16,000 in repairs and $160,000 in Amazon purchases, an audit concluded, according to WDRB.
Noel’s theft wasn’t just a victimless crime. He claimed the agencies he ran were cash-strapped as he ran rampant spending money for himself and family. About 20 people testified at the hearing about how his greed affected them.
“He had no regard for our personal safety. No regard for our mental health. None,” former New Chapel EMS paramedic Suzanne Davis reportedly told the judge.
Money that Noel stole could have used to enhance safety at the jail, victims said — and that theft had deadly consequences.
Christopher Sweet died in 2017 after allegedly not receiving treatment after complaining about chest pains.
“I hope you suffer every day,” his mother Janice Sweet reportedly said at Noel’s sentencing. “I hope you rot in prison.”
For his part, Noel apologized to his family, residents of Clark County and fellow law enforcement officials.
“I do not look forward to the next 12 years but I understand why I will be spending time in prison, and I accept this,” Noel reportedly told the judge.
The Indiana State Police arrested last year after questions arose about Noel’s spending habits. His wife and adult daughter are also facing charges.
Noel rose to prominence after appearing in the A&E reality show “60 Days In,” which has previously been hosted by Law&Crime founder Dan Abrams. The show, which launched in 2016, chronicles volunteers going undercover as inmates of county jails in an effort to expose corruption and criminal activity. In a hint of irony, Noel said on the show, which featured the Clark County Jail then under his leadership, that one of the reasons he ran for the top cop position was because “corruption had risen to the highest office” after the previous sheriff was indicted for paying a prostitute $300 for sex.
“It was apparent that drastic change needed to take place immediately,” he said at the time, according to the Courier Journal.
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