Former Delaware Co. EMS Office Manager Arrested for $200K Theft

DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. — A multi-year state police investigation into missing county funds has culminated in the arrest of a former Delaware County EMS office manager accused of stealing nearly $200,000 from local agencies.

Meagan R. Coutinho, 42, of Albany, Indiana, was arrested around 1 p.m. Wednesday. She faces multiple preliminary felony charges, including four counts of theft, official misconduct, and a high-level conflict of interest charge linked to her husband’s leadership role at the agency.

According to an affidavit for probable cause, Indiana State Police began investigating Coutinho in the early spring of 2026 after receiving information about improper financial activity spanning a five-year period. Investigators determined that the bulk of the alleged crimes took place across two separate local entities: Coutinho’s role as the Delaware County EMS office manager and her position as treasurer for a high school girls’ golf booster club.

Nearly $182K in Fake Overtime: Coutinho was originally hired by Delaware County EMS in 2019. State police discovered that between July 2021 and February 2026, Coutinho submitted 5,872 hours of “unapproved and unauthorized” overtime, netting her an extra $181,749.93 in unauthorized pay.

When questioned by investigators, Delaware County EMS Director Mike Ashley—Coutinho’s direct supervisor—stated he was the sole individual with the authority to approve her overtime and confirmed he never authorized the hours in question. State police reports indicate that when Ashley and a county attorney later confronted Coutinho about the discrepancy, she admitted to paying herself the overtime.

Court documents show Coutinho initially attempted to justify the hours by claiming a former county human resources director and a former auditor’s office employee gave her approval. However, both individuals explicitly denied those claims to state police, noting they never possessed the authority to authorize her overtime.

County Funds Used for Personal Bills: The investigation also uncovered further financial irregularities involving direct access to EMS accounts. State police allege Coutinho made 26 unauthorized transfers from a Delaware County EMS fund directly into her personal bank account between September 2024 and March 2026, totaling $14,408.15.

Additionally, court documents reveal Coutinho utilized the EMS account to pay off $5,302.64 of her personal credit card debt. Investigators also noted a pattern of unexplained cash withdrawals from the internal EMS account, alongside “dubious” payments to utility companies, Amazon purchases, and various in-store retail transactions.

Executive Director Connection and Charges: The investigation carries significant local implications due to Coutinho’s marital ties to the agency’s leadership. Court records and state police investigators note that Coutinho is married to John Coutinho, the current Executive Director of Delaware County EMS.

Following her arrest on Wednesday afternoon, Coutinho was transported and booked into the Delaware County Jail.