Sheriff Kleinhelter’s pre-trial hearing delayed to June 30 in Marion County

Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter’s next courtroom date is now June 30, leaving his criminal case, his law-enforcement credentials and his role at the county jail in limbo while the fallout from the commissary-fund probe continues.

The Marion County hearing was pushed back at Kleinhelter’s request. He faces one Level 6 felony count of official misconduct and three Class B misdemeanor counts of false informing after Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears filed charges on April 9, 2026. The charges stem from a recorded Indiana State Police interview on Dec. 19, 2024, in which investigators say Kleinhelter made false statements tied to the broader audit-driven investigation.

That investigation began in July 2024, after the Indiana State Board of Accounts asked state police to look into the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office jail commissary fund. The audit found roughly $78,000 in questionable spending, including travel, meals, gift cards, Blackstone grills and trips involving Kleinhelter’s wife, who was not a sheriff’s office employee. Court records also cite a $14,747.30 Delta refund from a canceled Dubai trip. Mears has said he could not bring charges over the spending itself because that conduct occurred in Dubois County, outside his jurisdiction.

The delay matters because the criminal case is unfolding alongside an administrative fight that could determine whether Kleinhelter stays certified to work in law enforcement. The Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board began considering decertification in August 2025, and Kleinhelter met with the board in person in November. On April 20, 2026, the board voted 9-4 to reject a proposed settlement that would have allowed him to remain certified until Jan. 1, 2027, sending the matter back for further review instead.

That same day, Gov. Mike Braun removed Kleinhelter from the training board after a recommendation from Indiana State Police Superintendent Anthony Scott, who chairs the panel. Scott said the board largely agreed on the outcome but differed on timing. Kleinhelter did not attend the April 20 meeting in Plainfield.

For now, Kleinhelter remains Dubois County sheriff and still holds his law-enforcement credentials while the decertification request stays pending. The case has also drawn scrutiny inside state police, where veteran Lt. Jeff Hearon was suspended for two days and reassigned after emailing a special prosecutor about the case, a reminder that the dispute has reached beyond one office and into broader questions about how accountability is handled when local and state authority collide.