CLARK COUNTY, Ind. — Jamey Noel, the disgraced former Clark County Sheriff, was handed a 15-year sentence by Judge Larry Medlock Monday, after 20 people impacted by Noel's crimes for nearly three hours.
Noel faced 31 felony charges, including counts of theft, tax evasion, corrupt business practices, ghost employment, official misconduct and money laundering. He agreed to plead guilty to 27 felony charges in August.
Noel will now spend 12 years in prison and three years on probation. A sentence Judge Medlock said was too short.
"Everybody wants you to do a lifetime in prison," Judge Medlock said. "And maybe that's what you deserve. But, the law will not allow me to do that."
Hope Noel, the ex-wife of Jamey Noel's late brother Leon Noel, took the stand and addressed Noel face-to-face, causing Jamey to shed tears in the courtroom.
"Karma is coming for you and I hope you realize how bad this upsets me. Have fun in prison, because you deserve it," Hope Noel said. "Yeah, that's what I want to see right there is you crying."
After the hearing, Hope told WHAS11's Travis Breese that although she would have liked to see a longer sentence for Jamey, she accepts the judge's decision.
"We were all kind of knowing that this was going to be the amount, the biggest amount he could get. So we were all okay accepting this. I mean, honestly, if it was up to me, he would get life – like the judge said, too, he would love to give him life. I agree with that. But, we just knew that this was probably going to be the most he could get," she said.
On the other hand, Jeffersonville resident Shelia Bland thinks the sentence is too long for the crimes Noel committed.
"I mean, he should be punished but not that bad," Bland said. "He's not a bad guy."
But, not all Clark County residents agree.
Southern Indiana resident Debra Creshaw called the WHAS11 Rant Line, and she sees it differently.
"He should get 15 years plus," Crenshaw said. "At the same point in time, he actually broke down only because the family member talked to him like they did."
A community that has been given one answer, is now left with others.
"It's kind of got us worried, how many other people are out there that are guilty that are still doing what they're doing," said Bland.