Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel’s appeal for a reduction in bond and release conditions following his November 2023 arrest has been denied by an Indiana appellate court. The court ruled that the $75,000 bond and the conditions for his release were not excessive.
During his time as sheriff, Noel was accused of 15 felony charges, including theft, ghost employment, and corrupt business influence. These allegations led to his arrest and subsequent trial. Special Judge Larry Medlock, who presided over the case in Clark Circuit Court, ruled in November that Noel must surrender all of his firearms, with the exception of a shotgun of his choosing. Additionally, due to his ownership of a private plane and a residence in Florida, Noel was deemed a flight risk and ordered to remain in Indiana while awaiting trial. Despite this, he was able to post bond and was released from a Scott County jail on November 9th.
In April, Noel was sent back to the Scott County jail for a 60-day sentence after being found in contempt of court for possessing two handguns at a house in Jeffersonville, as per Medlock’s orders. Despite the expiration of the 60-day period, Noel is still in custody. This is because Medlock increased his bond to a staggering $1.5 million on June 4, according to a previous report by The Courier Journal.
According to an email sent by Clark County Court Administrator Tom Lowe to The Courier Journal, Noel needs to pay slightly more than $1.4 million to secure his release.
Since Noel’s preliminary court hearing, a prosecutor has leveled 16 more felony charges against him. These allegations are all connected to an Indiana State Police investigation that began in June 2023. Among the accusations, Noel, his wife Misty, and daughter Kasey were charged with theft and tax evasion based on bank account records that suggest a fire department’s credit card was used to purchase personal items, including clothing and cosmetics.
Noel and his family, including his wife and daughter, have entered pleas of not guilty for all charges. A jury trial for Noel is scheduled for November 6th, while his wife and daughter’s trials are set for July 30th and August 20th, respectively.
Furthermore, Noel is facing several lawsuits, with the Indiana attorney general and the fire department and EMS service he once headed among those taking legal action. The latter claims that it cannot halt the regular payments made by Noel without suffering a severe hit to its credit score, unless a court decides that it is not responsible for the charges.
According to records obtained in search warrants, the investigation led by Lt. Jeffery Hearon of the Indiana State Police claims that Noel discussed his legal matters with a former Clark County deputy auditor who is no longer employed by the county.
According to The Courier Journal, investigators have revealed that a former consultant to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office failed to disclose more than $200,000 in taxable income. Witnesses who were interviewed reported that Kenneth Hughbanks deliberately avoided filing tax forms, and it was alleged that Noel had instructed them not to hand over any tax documents to Hughbanks.
No charges have been filed against Hughbanks or former deputy auditor Jessica Huffman in relation to the Noel investigation.
