CLARK COUNTY, Ind. — The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled against former Clark County sheriff Jamey Noel, denying his motion to overturn his original bond amount.
Noel, who is facing a multitude of felony charges, is accused of corrupt business influence, official misconduct, ghost employment, theft and obstruction of justice. Members of his family have also been charged in the investigation.
When Noel was first arrested in November, Judge Larry Medlock set his bond at the $75,000 and ordered him to turn in his passport and most of his firearms. He posted bond within an hour of that hearing.
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The appeals court ruled Thursday it found "no abuse of discretion" in the court’s decision to require Noel to post bond with those conditions and didn’t find the $75,000 bond to be excessive.
In January, Noel's attorneys argued Noel didn't show he deserved such high restrictions.
But in its ruling, the court said it was "unpersuaded" by Noel's request since he had already paid the bond and didn't object to any of the conditions at the time.
“Not only did Noel voice no objection or challenge to any of the conditions at the initial hearing, he offered to provide his passport to the court,” the appeals court said.
Since that hearing, Noel was ordered to serve 60 days in jail on April 9 after Medlock found him in contempt of court for having firearms in his home in violation of his bond conditions. His bond was also increased to $1.5 million in early June.
Noel was expected back in court on Friday, however a court official said the hearing was cancelled.
"There have been agreements reached that resolve the hearings today," they said. Those agreements remain confidential at this time, by order of the court, the official added.
CASE BACKGROUND
Jamey Noel is facing 31 felony charges, including counts of theft, tax evasion, corrupt business practices, ghost employment, official misconduct and money laundering. The ISP investigation began in June 2023 following allegations that Noel directed jail staff to work on his personal property and run his personal errands while on county time.
His wife Misty Noel pleaded not guilty to 10 felonies; five counts of theft and five counts of tax evasion.
Daughter Kasey Noel pleaded not guilty to nine felonies; five counts of theft and four counts of tax evasion.
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According to previous court documents, Hearon found millions of dollars of personal purchases made by all three on Utica Township Volunteer Firefighter Association credit cards. He also stated they failed to disclose income on their taxes over a five-year span.
Jamey ran UTVFA for many years until January when he was ousted by the board.
In March, investigators uncovered over $100,000 in tuition and education-related payments were made from the cards by Jamey and Misty. Hearon asked a judge for permission to search Indiana University records regarding Josey and Gracy Noel -- Jamey and Misty's other daughters who are currently enrolled at IU campuses.
In April, ISP said the family spent over $300,000 on vacations using fire department funds without reimbursement. Noel was ordered to serve 60 days in jail on April 9 after a judge found him in contempt of court for having firearms in his home in violation of his bond conditions.
The investigation also uncovered Jamey fathered a child with former Clark County Councilwoman Brittney Ferree and made child support payments with UTVFA funds.
Jamey Noel's vast automobile collection has been under scrutiny by investigators since the beginning of the investigation.
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.
Jamey is accused of orchestrating a vehicle trading and selling scheme where he traded in several cars registered to the UTVFA for vehicles he then registered to himself for personal use. In some cases, he allegedly sold them and pocketed the money.
Court documents released in early March indicated 26 containers of military surplus equipment belonging to the Clark County Sheriff's Office were found on a property in Deputy, Indiana. Hearon alleged Noel sold multiple items belonging to the sheriff's office and sold them for personal gain.
The investigation has also focused on former Scott County Sheriff Kenneth Hughbanks, a friend and associate of Jamey's. Hearon said Hughbanks failed to report over $200,000 in income on his taxes. He has not been charged.
In May, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed civil lawsuits against the entire Noel family in an effort to recover $4 million in funds the Noels illegally spent.