JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Indiana State Police and a special prosecutor have added a new layer to their investigation into former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel.
Documents reveal he was making child support payments to a former county councilmember and didn't declare it on his taxes, and may have given her a white BMW for free out of the volunteer firefighters association inventory.
The investigation went public in August when ISP searched Noel's home in Jeffersonville.
In new documents filed on Dec. 27, ISP Investigators say Noel had a child with Brittney Ferree, who served on the Clark County Council between January 2019 and December 2022. They further say Noel made "many" child support payments using the Utica Township Volunteer Fire Fighter Association funds.
Court documents provided one example of a check made from "Utica Twp Vol FF Assn dba (doing business as) New Chapel EMS" to INSCCU, which is the Indiana State Central Collection Unit. Investigators said Noel was "layering," which means he allegedly used different businesses to make it harder to track the money.
Investigators said Noel didn't declare many of these payments on his taxes, and that his total child support payments were in excess of $25,000 per year.
Last month, the FOCUS team covered how the city of Clarksville was considering forming its own EMS and parting ways with New Chapel EMS, which is owned by Noel. Fire Chief Brandon Skaggs said the discussions were not related to Noel's current legal battle, and were about improving response times.
Investigators also looked into a 2015 white BMW registered to Ferree. They found the vehicle was property of the volunteer fire fighter association until January 2023, when it was sold to Ferree for $21,000.
However, investigators say they combed through Noel's finances, his businesses and several family member's finances, and found no proof of anyone receiving $21,000.
Court documents also show someone named Kasey Noel donated $1,000 to Ferree's council campaign in 2018 and 2019.
“We will not try our case in the press," Noel attorney Larry Wilder said. "We will have no comments until the jury is seated and everyone, including the government witnesses, are sworn under oath and subject to the criminal provisions of perjury."
FOCUS sent a Facebook message to Ferree's campaign account asking for comment and didn't hear back.
Wilder said the next court action is a pretrial hearing Jan. 16 at 1:30 p.m.
Noel is facing 15 felony charges related to corrupt business practices, ghost employment, official misconduct, theft and tax evasion. Authorities believe Noel had Clark County jail employees work on his personal and rental properties, and run errands for him while working on county time and being compensated with public funds.
Noel's vast automobile collection has also come under scrutiny by investigators.
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.
Among those 24 vehicles are several Cadillacs, Chevrolet Camaros and Chevrolet Corvettes.
In December, investigators accused Noel of unlawfully purchasing a Cessna airplane.
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