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The legal fall of Jamey Noel
Clark County Courthouse in Jeffersonville. (Credit: OZinOH)
JEFFERSONVILLE — For the last five months of 2023, a scandal involving a member of the Indiana Republican Central Committee has mushroomed into three counties.
Jamey Noel served as sheriff of Clark County from 2015 to 2022. He previously served with the Indiana State Police. In addition to his law enforcement experience, Noel co-founded New Chapel EMS, an ambulance and emergency medical services company that has contracts with Clark County, the city of Clarksville and portions of Floyd County. He is the former chief of the Utica Volunteer Fire Department.
Noel has been a powerful southern Indiana Republican political leader, especially over the last decade. In 2016, Noel was a member of the Indiana State Republican Party Committee that was unexpectedly charged with electing a gubernatorial candidate to replace then Gov. Mike Pence on the ballot. Pence had been selected to be Donald Trump’s running mate on the national ticket.
Related: The metastasizing Noel scandal
Noel publicly endorsed then Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb in the four-way contest between Holcomb, U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita, and state Sen. Jim Tomes. “He’s [Holcomb] in the best position here in very short notice, roughly 100 days, to be able to pick it up and be elected as our next governor,” Noel told The Associated Press.
In July 2019, Sheriff Noel told Howey Politics of Holcomb, “He can relate to anybody he’s talking to, no matter what the subject. I’ve seen him handle people who have walked up and in my view to be confrontational. I’ve seen some of those people wanting to pick a fight walking away scratching their heads. He relates well with everybody, whether they’re a congressman, a state senator or state rep, or some kid walking up.”
Following Holcomb’s victory, Noel was appointed to the governor’s transition team. “I’m excited about it,” Noel told the News & Tribune in Jeffersonville. “I’m glad to help and be a part of it. It’s an honor to be asked to serve on that.”
In 2020, Noel was tapped to serve as chairman of Holcomb’s reelection bid.
Noel continues to wield significant political influence through his positions as chair of the Clark County Republican Party and chair of the Indiana State Republican Party’s 9th Congressional District.
The fall
On Nov. 9, 2023, following an August raid on his Jeffersonville home by the Indiana State Police, Noel was arrested and charged with 15 state felonies including one count of corrupt business influence, one count of obstruction of justice, five counts of theft, four counts of ghost employment and four counts of official misconduct. Additional search warrants were issued in late November but, so far, more charges have not been filed.
According to documents related to the searches, investigators found thousands of dollars in cash, more than 130 vehicles, evidence of ghost employment and questionable use of public funds, Louisville TV station WDRB reported.
On Nov. 10, 2023, Noel was released from jail after posting $75,000 in bail, according to the television station. As part of his bond, Noel’s travel has been limited to Indiana without court permission. Noel’s attorneys recently appealed this decision to the Indiana Appellate Court, requesting that bond be reduced, the limitation on firearms be lifted and the return of Noel’s passport.
In late-November, the court granted Noel permission to travel to California, from Feb. 19-23, with his wife, his attorney and his attorney’s wife, WAVE-TV of Louisville reported.
On Tuesday, WDRB-TV reported that Special Prosecutor Ric Hertel said the state is now prepared to move forward with criminal charges against “certain defendants, primarily Misty Noel,” the wife of the former sheriff.
Judge Larry Medlock responded, “If she’s here today and you wish to establish probable cause, I believe the statute provides me the authority to order her arrest. I could arrest her myself, according to the statute.” Misty Noel was in court, but Larry Wilder, Jamey Noel’s attorney, had a strong reaction to the state’s request. “Judge, if that’s the case then what we would ask is that the court take note that if you want to arrest her, she’s sitting in chair two, front row,” Wilder said. “I find it a tad bit disheartening that this is how the government’s approach to today’s proceeding was, is to issue a threat to our client’s wife in front of television cameras and everyone sitting here about being arrested.”
For now, Medlock said there is no probable cause for the arrest.
Jamey Noel’s trial is set for May 2024.
Asked about whether Noel should resign from the Central Committee and Clark GOP, Indiana Republican Chair Anne Hathaway told Howey Politics in November, “I’m an innocent-until-proven-guilty person. He was elected by the local grassroots to be the Clark County chair. The 9th District chairs have elected him. He’s done an amazing job over the years. He’s built out a strong Republican network in that area of the state. There is still significant support for him. We’ve been talking with local folks and keeping our ear to the ground, taking it one day at a time. Obviously we have an obligation to make sure that we do the right thing for the party, so we’re just taking it one day at a time. Jamey was doing his job. He reached out to folks in his county and district over the weekend with regard to party events, delegates.”
The Whistleblower
Current Sheriff Scottie Maples has worked for the Clark County Sheriff’s Department since 2004, including during Noel’s two terms as sheriff. Maples has said he notified the Indiana State Police about department irregularities earlier this summer, prior to Noel’s arrest.
On Nov. 8, 2023 following Noel’s arrest, Maples said this on the “Sheriff Scottie Maples” Facebook page: “Now that this arrest has occurred, I can finally break my silence on this investigation. In the early months of becoming your Sheriff, my team and I discovered many unnerving and possible criminal activities by Jamey Noel. I contacted the Indiana State Police and reported three issues, and asked that they conduct an unbiased and independent investigation.”
In his post, Maples went on to say, “First, on Dec. 30, 2022, I discovered a secret recording device (wiretap) in the office of the former assistant chief, which had been planted during Jamey Noel’s term. This wiretap led directly to Sheriff Noel’s former office. After that discovery, I ordered an office-wide review, at which time I discovered more disturbing information. Second, I reported that Jamey Noel had ordered several Clark County Sheriff’s Office employees to work and perform maintenance on his personal property, investment properties, and business properties. These employees were instructed to conduct this work while being paid to work at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Third, I reported that shortly after taking office, a police officer abruptly resigned and requested a retirement benefit. Knowing this officer did not qualify for the pension, my command staff looked into his request.”
Scott County Searches
On Nov. 29, 2023, ISP executed search warrants on additional Noel properties and offices of Scott County Republican Chairman Kenny Hughbanks and his wife, Lyndi Hughbanks, who is president of the Scott County Council, according to Louisville Public Media. The ISP also searched a Scott County home belonging to former Clark sheriff employee John Kimmick, who left the department in 2023. He now works for two Noel operated entities, Utica Township Volunteers Association and New Chapel EMS.
Kenny Hughbanks has been a Clark sheriff employee and consultant, off and on, since 2009. He was appointed as Scott County Sheriff in April 2018. He rejoined the department in 2019 as a major with the title of Operations Corrections Commander. He left at the end of 2019 but was retained as a consultant.
Filed court documents say that from March 2015 to December 2022, Hughbanks received more than $265,000 in payments from the Clark County Sheriff commissary funds for consulting, according to Louisville Public Media. It is reported in the court filing that a witness says that Hughbanks did not want to receive a 1099 tax form and then-Sheriff Noel ordered that one not be issued. Indiana Department of Revenue records show no registration of Hughbanks’ LLC or any income tax form filed for the business.
To date, no charges have been filed against Hughbanks.
Brittney Ferree
Brittney Ferree is a former Republican member of the Clark County Council. In late-December 2023, the ISP conducted a search of her home, according to WHAS-TV of Louisville, as part of the Noel investigation. Numerous financial records were recovered including child support payments made from Utica Volunteer Fire Department and New Chapel EMS. To date, no charges have been filed.
GOP “Family Fights” in Floyd County
In February 2023, Republican Floyd County Council President Denise Konkle and Republican Councilman Jim Freiberger were disciplined by the 9th Congressional District Republicans, a group chaired by Jamey Noel, according to the News & Tribune. The two GOP officeholders were accused of breaking party rules when they voted for a Democrat to serve as vice president of the council instead of a Republican.
Konkle was censured and is prohibited from running as a GOP candidate for five years — until Dec. 31, 2028. Freiberger received a reprimand with no prohibition for seeking future office as a Republican. The complaint was brought by Floyd County GOP Party Chair Heather Archibald-Peters who is also a legal advisor to Noel’s New Chapel EMS. Noel abstained from the vote but the other members of the four-member committee voted in favor of the party punishment, the News & Tribune reported.
The reprimands were unusual as there are other examples of 9th District Republicans voting for Democrats on leadership issues and those GOP officials faced no party punishment. Both Konkle and Freiberger have said they believe the party action was retaliation for their ambulance related votes that were contrary to Noel’s interests as owner of New Chapel EMS, according to the News & Tribune.
Probe continues
This investigation appears to be ongoing.
The Indiana State Police investigation has already netted significant charges against Noel and has included searches of the homes and offices of his friends and family members. ISP has discovered significant amounts of cash at Noel’s home, more than 130 vehicles, an airplane and pages and pages of financial records. The ISP has said it is looking into “layering.” Layering is described by the Financial Crime Academy as a money laundering practice where funds are “moved around to produce confusion and distance from their original criminal origin.”
Addendum – Compilation of News stories
News stories about Noel’s political party positions
https://www.wane.com/news/pence-christie-back-different-indiana-governor-candidates/
https://www.in.gov/library/files/HPI_20190718.pdf
News stories about 60 Days In, Firings
News Stories about the Jail Incident, David Lowe, lawsuits
New stories on Noel, Maples and Hughbanks
New stories on Konkle, Freiberger, the Moons, Short and Heather Archibald-Peters
https://news.yahoo.com/opinion-floyd-county-gop-drop-141800880.html
https://www.wave3.com/2023/02/15/floyd-county-gop-censure-effort-seen-political-retaliation/
New Chapel EMS
Brian Howey is senior writer and columnist for Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs. Find Howey on Facebook and X @hwypol.
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