Judge orders Jamey Noel to pay $918K in damages to the state of Indiana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A judge said former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel must pay more than $900,000 as the state of Indiana tries to recover some of the money he stole.

The special judge in one of the state's civil cases against Noel said he should pay the $918,000 as punitive damages. The amount is in additional to the more than $3 million Noel agreed to pay as part of his criminal case.

The decision comes as part of a civil suit filed by the state.

Noel, a former Clark County sheriff and leader of Utica Township fire department, was found guilty of taking millions from the departments to fuel a lavish lifestyle.

He was sentenced in Oct. 2024 to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to 27 felonies. Charges included theft, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, money laundering, corrupt business influence and official misconduct.

He's serving his sentence at the Indiana Department of Corrections New Castle Correctional Annex. His earliest possible release date is June 2033.

A lengthy investigation found Noel took public money for years to support a lavish lifestyle that included boats, planes, tuition payments, child support and more.

As part of the plea deal, Noel was ordered to pay more than $3.1 million in restitution to four different public agencies:

$2,870,924 to Utica Township Volunteers Firefighters Association (dba New Chapel EMS)
$173,155.07 to the Indiana Department of Revenue
$61,190.77 to the Clark County Sheriff's Department
$35,245.60 to Indiana State Police

To recover the funds, nearly all of Noel’s assets were ordered sold at auctions. Among the items on the block, dozens of his personal items, guns, custom suits, watches, old police cruisers and luxury vehicles.

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