LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New details were made public Thursday in the case against former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, who is facing 15 felony charges.
Noel was arrested earlier this month following an investigation that started when current Sheriff Scottie Maples discovered a wiretap inside the sheriff's office that was planted during Noel's tenure. After an internal investigation, Maples and his command staff found documents that appeared to be falsified, including efforts to provide a pension to a former employee and family member who didn't qualify.
According to court documents released Thursday, prosecutors allege Noel paid at least four Clark County Jail maintenance employees to perform various tasks on his personal property while being paid by the county.
Employee 1 told investigators Noel approached them in 2018 or 2019 and asked if they would be willing to work on Noel's private residents on weekends or after work. At some point, Noel began asking Employee 1 and others to work on his private residence, rental properties, father-in-law's residence, pole barn and non-profit business - the New Chapel EMS and Utica Township Volunteer Fire Fighters Association - while on the clock and being paid by taxpayers.
According to court documents, Noel instructed Employee 1 to do the following:
Noel's rental property in Jeffersonville:
- Floor work, level toilet, replace lights and pour concrete.
Noel's father-in-law's house in Jeffersonville:
- Fix pipes, fix air conditioner, repair refrigerator, install new refrigerator and fix shower.
Noel's personal home in Jeffersonville:
- Unstop sink, run gas line for generator and general electrical work.
Garage and pole barn in Utica:
- Spread concrete, duct work, HVAC work and spread gravel.
Employee 2 told investigators they often accompanied Employee 1 to help with projects related to the furnace, electrical, concrete and plumbing. This employee felt compelled to do the work because their spouse had health issues, and they needed to keep their job and health insurance.
Employee 2 told investigators they worked on the following tasks:
Noel's personal home:
- Fix ice maker, work on basement plumbing, gas line to generator, work on lights and fans and hang pictures.
Rental house:
- Work on guttering, fix a hole in the floor, level front porch and plumbing.
Rental house:
- Work on shower, plumbing, change out refrigerator and repair water line.
Pole barn:
- Level gravel, pour concrete, install HVAC ducts, install lights and install door.
New Chapel EMS building:
- Fix urinal and install paneling and carpet.
Employee 3's assigned duties were to maintain department vehicles. They were asked to work Saturdays to maintain Noel's private vehicle collection.
Employee 3 believed they would be paid by Noel for Saturday work, but checks received were from Utica Township Volunteer Fire Department. The employee told investigators they found this odd, but didn't ask questions.
Over time, the employee said Noel changed their work schedule to Monday through Thursday. Noel asked Employee 3 to pick up and transport cars for his personal collection.
Employee 3 also said they transported an excavator to Noel's pole barn while on county time.
Two employees told investigators they poured and spread concrete at the pole barn while being paid by the county.
Employee 4 said they accompanied other employees to various jobs at Noel's properties.
It appears investigators are also looking into Noel's car collection.
According to court documents, 133 vehicles are registered to the Utica Township Volunteer Fire Department and New Chapel EMS. A review of those vehicles showed several were "inconsistent" with a not-for-profit fire department and EMS business. Those vehicles are:
- 2023 Cadillac Escalade
- 2020 Dodge Charger Hell Cat
- 2020 Cadillac CT 5 Sport
- 2015 Camaro Z28
- 2020 Cadillac ST6
- 2017 Cadillac Escalade Luxury
- 2017 Corvette Grand Sport
- 2018 Camaro SS
- 2019 Cadillac XT5
- 2022 Cadillac CT5 Premium Luxury
- 2023 Cadillac V ESU Sport
- 2023 Cadillac Sport
- 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Series III
- 2022 Cadillac Sport Platinum
- 2021 Cadillac Escalade Sport
- 2023 Cadillac CT5-V
- 2020 Corvette Sting Ray
- 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hell Cat Red Eye
- 1993 Ford Taurus
- 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis
- 1998 Ford Crown Victoria
- 1994 Ford Crown Victoria
- 1989 Ford Bronco II
- 2022 Dodge Pursuit
Noel is facing one count of corrupt business influence, four counts of theft, one count of obstruction of justice, five counts of ghost unemployment and four counts of official misconduct.
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