Salem Man Accused of False Informing, Failure to Appear, Contempt of Court
Source: Indiana State Police
SALEM, Ind.–A man from Salem is accused of false informing, failure to appear, and contempt of court.
State Police say Jeffrey Lynn Bell Jr was arrested Thursday. In April 2024, a State Police Detective said he met with the Washington County Child Support Administrator who said she received emails stating Bell had died. The emails brought up the fact that since Bell had died, a large amount of child support Bell owed would go unpaid.
That detective says he found out that Bell was alive and living at a home in northern Washington County with his girlfriend. After finding this out, the Washington County Prosecutor charged Bell with false informing and provided a court date.
On Thursday January 23, Bell appeared in the Washington County Circuit Court via a virtual online meeting regarding the false informing charges. He claimed that he had to make his appearance virtually instead of in-person because he was out of the state.
Police say they suspected that Bell was conducting the virtual meeting from the same residence where the detective found him before.
Washington County Sheriff’s Department deputies were sent to that home and say they found Bell Jr inside the home. The Judge ordered Bell to be taken into custody and transported to the courtroom.
“As a result of his actions, Jeffrey Bell Jr. is currently charged with three counts of Failing to Appear, one count of False Informing, and one count of Contempt of Court. Jeffrey Bell was incarcerated in the Washington County Jail and is being held on a $100,000 bond for the False Informing charge and without bond for two of the Failure to Appear charges and the Contempt charge. Bell is held on a $500 bond for one of the Failure to Appear charges,” said State Police in a Friday news release.
