Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter Faces Criminal Charges for Official Misconduct and False Informing

Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter faces criminal charges in Marion County and potential state decertification following an audit into misused funds.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from 14 News

A Major Legal Escalation for the Dubois County Sheriff

The leadership of the Dubois County Sheriff’s Office has been cast into significant legal jeopardy following the filing of criminal charges against the department's top official. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, prosecutors in Marion County officially initiated a case against Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter. The charges include a single count of official misconduct alongside three counts of false informing, marking a sharp pivot from previous administrative reviews into a formal criminal prosecution within the Indiana court system.

The Administrative Battle Over Police Certification

The criminal charges arrive at a time when Kleinhelter’s professional standing is already under intense scrutiny by state regulatory bodies. Currently, the sheriff’s law enforcement certification is subject to a pending review by the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board’s decertification subcommittee. This body holds the authority to vote on the permanent removal of his police certification, a move that would fundamentally compromise his ability to serve in a law enforcement capacity regardless of the outcome of his criminal trial.

Following the Trail of Financial Irregularities

The current legal crisis appears to be rooted in earlier investigations into the management of departmental resources. According to prior reports, an audit of the sheriff’s office had previously revealed evidence of the misuse of funds. While initial findings from that financial review did not immediately result in criminal charges at the time of the audit’s publication, the new counts of official misconduct and false informing suggest that investigators have since identified specific actions that warrant judicial intervention.