Source: Clark County Jail / other
JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Former Clark County sheriff Jamey Noel is heading back to jail.
Noel, who is currently awaiting trial for several charges of corrupt business influence, theft, and tax evasion stemming from his time as sheriff, was brought back to court on Tuesday accused of violating his bond agreement allowing him to stay out of jail.
Part of that agreement was that he had to surrender every gun he owned, except for one shotgun. In all 82 guns were turned over by Noel. But, during a regular check of his home under the agreement to make sure he was complying, Indiana State Police say they found two more guns that he had not surrendered.
“I told Mr. Noel, ‘Don’t do anything stupid. Do not try to deceive me or defy me. You will not like the consequences,” said Judge Larry Medlock as he slammed down his gavel. “Today is that day!”
Medlock slammed the gavel so hard that he broke the gavel block.
“I find that you are in contempt of this court,” Medlock added. “Take him into custody!”
That ruling was made after three hours of testimony in which state police laid out what they found in Noel’s home. Witnesses for the defense also testified. Two of them were the men that Noel had directed to collect all the guns and turn them over to authorities.
The men said Noel told them where all the guns were. But, the defense argued that it was the two men’s responsibility to make sure all the guns in the house were secured. Prosecutors and the judge disagreed, saying that responsibility lay with Noel.
Medlock was so angry with Noel for violating the bond agreement that he gave Noel 60 days in jail.
Noel is facing all the aforementioned charges in the case against him because investigators say they found evidence that he used county and jail workers to run his personal errands and do work on his personal property while on county time.
He is also accused of using county credit cards meant for volunteer fire departments for personal expenses. He and his wife are said to have charged $300,000 to those cards to pay for family vacations and another $100,000 to pay for their kids’ college education.
