Clinton County sheriff, wife plead ‘not guilty’ to official misconduct charges
FRANKFORT, Ind. (WISH) — Clinton County Sheriff Rich Kelly and his wife, Ashley Kelly, walked into the Clinton County Courthouse on Monday morning and pleaded “not guilty.”
Both face felonies for official misconduct and conflict of interest. The charges stem from an Indiana State Board of Accounts report that ordered the Kellys to repay $329,000 of jail commissary money, which I-Team 8 reported in November. Ashley serves as matron in the sheriff’s department.
When Rich Kelley and his wife left the Clinton Circuit Court, they didn’t have one word to say. They had just entered their pleas.
The Kellys are charged with misusing more than $200,000 of jail commissary funds. The details are outlined in a 30-page report from the State Board of Accounts. According to the report, the Kellys set up and profited from Leonne LLC, a limited liability corporation that managed inmate commissary funds. The Clinton County Commissioners say a contract was not in place for the sheriff and his wife to operate commissary.
The judge has set a jury trial for June 14, although Indiana courts routinely reschedule events.