Starke County Jail Employee Faces Theft, Fraud, Trafficking Charges

Starke County Sheriff's Department
Starke County Sheriff’s Department

An employee of the Starke County Jail is now facing charges of Theft and Fraud as Class D felonies, and Trafficking with an Inmate as a Class A misdemeanor after he allegedly used the debit card of an inmate at several locations throughout the area. According to the charging documents, 44-year-old Donald Milbourn used the debit card of inmate Joshua Estok between Feb. 15 and Feb. 25 to withdraw money from the First Farmers Bank and Trust ATM in Knox and the First National Bank of Monterey ATM in North Judson.

Estok told police that he gave Milbourn permission to take his debit card from his property locker and withdraw $1000 from his account to put on his account at the jail before returning the card to his locker. However, Estok was shocked to find out later that, while his checking account was missing roughly $1000, no deposits were made on his commissary account.

The police report indicates that Milbourn was seen on surveillance cameras in the inmate property storage area at the jail, at an ATM at First Farmers Bank and Trust, and at other locations throughout the area using the card.

Milbourn told police that he was given permission to use the money as a loan and that he used it to purchase tires for his vehicle. When executing a search warrant at 3155 W. State Road 10 in North Judson, Dawn Milbourn told police that she paid for the two new tires using her own credit card.

Milbourn was held on a $1000 bond before he posted bail and was released after the local bail bondsmen services helped him. He was present for his initial hearing held on March 5, and his attorney status hearing is set for March 21 at 9 a.m. His first pre-trial conference will take place on April 9 at 8 a.m., which is also his omnibus date. His plea agreement deadline is May 15. He is to have no contact with Estok.