Former Clinton County sheriff, wife avoid serving time in plea deal
Former Clinton County sheriff, wife avoid serving time in plea deal
Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & CourierMon, May 11, 2026 at 7:43 PM UTC
0
Former Clinton County sheriff, wife avoid serving time in plea deal
FRANKFORT, IN — Former Clinton County Sheriff Richard Kelly and his wife, Ashley, have avoided jail time after pleading guilty last week to conflict-of-interest charges.
The judge sentenced Richard Kelly, who pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of conflict of interest by a public servant, to 2.5 years of jail time but suspended to probation, with an additional year of supervised probation. As part of his deal, Richard agreed to resign as sheriff.
Ashley Kelly, who pleaded guilty on Thursday to one felony count of conflict of interest by a public servant, was sentenced to 180 days on probation.
The felony conflict-of-interest and official misconduct charges filed in 2022 were triggered by a 2021 State Board of Accounts audit that found that between Jan. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2021, 85 checks were improperly issued from the jail's commissary fund to the Kellys' company, totaling $190,916.61. In that same time frame, the SBOA found checks were also improperly issued to Ashley Kelly, totaling $32,967.92.
The Kellys still face additional felony charges in Marion County, after Indiana State Police investigators allege that Ashley Kelly lied about injuries sustained while on the job as an ISP trooper in 2014 that resulted in her permanent disability status.
In January 2014, Ashley reported that she'd slipped on ice while getting into her patrol car, resulting in injuries to her neck and mouth, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Marion County Superior Court. Kelly was granted full disability from the Indiana State Police and has received payments from the ISP Pension Trust.
From May 1, 2021, to March 31, 2026, Ashley Kelly received payments from the ISP Pension Trust totaling $205,398.77, according to the affidavit.
Richard faces an additional misdemeanor charge in Hamilton County of unlawfully carrying a handgun in light of current felony charges.
On April 9, Kelly was working an off-duty armed security assignment in the area of 1721 W. 116th St. in Carmel, when a Clinton County deputy said he received a call from Kelly, according to the probable cause affidavit. The deputy was working at the jail at the time of the call, and he told Indiana State Police investigators that Kelly instructed him to leave the jail and drive to his location in Carmel to relieve Kelly from the security assignment.
Advertisement
Court records do not explain why Kelly was in Carmel "on security assignment" or other details about the assignment or the request.
The deputy, described in the court document as a "special deputy" who works in the jail, said that when he arrived in Carmel, Kelly looked "visibly distressed," the affidavit said. Kelly then directed the deputy to a desk drawer and told him there was something inside that "needed to be taken care of."
In the drawer, the deputy said he found a holstered handgun, according to court documents, identified as a SIG Sauer P365 9mm pistol. The deputy said he confirmed with Kelly that the gun was a personal weapon and not department-issued.
After the deputy secured the gun in his vehicle, which was loaded with nine rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, he later contacted ISP to relinquish the firearm out of "circumstantial concerns," the affidavit said.
While facing felony charges, Kelly is not permitted to carry a handgun, the court documents said.
Clinton County commissioners said in a news release Thursday afternoon that the county's Republican Party has begun notifying eligible precinct committeemen of a caucus to select a replacement for Kelly as sheriff.
The caucus, led by county chairman and commissioners President Jordan Brewer, must be held within 30 days of the vacancy, the release said. Until a new sheriff is selected, Chief Deputy Shawn Mayfield will serve as acting sheriff.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Former Clinton County sheriff, wife avoid serving time in plea deal
Source: “AOL Breaking”
