A former township trustee faces numerous felony charges following an investigation by the Indiana State Police into undocumented or unsupported payments from government accounts.
Current Tippecanoe Township Trustee Martie J. White contacted the Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office last August to discuss irregularities she found in the budget. She took over after Kathleen Keller resigned on April 26, 2016.
An investigation by the Indiana State Police and Indiana State Board of Accounts Audit found more than $148,500 missing from township accounts between Jan. 1, 2012 and April 26, 2016.
Court documents indicate that total includes unsupported cash disbursements payable to and endorsed by Kathleen Keller between Jan. 1, 2013 and March 31, 2016; undocumented township fund payments made to Keller totaling $12,532.43; payments made to vendors between Jan. 1, 2012 and April 26, 2016 without supporting documentation totaling $21,832.94; unallowable utility, maintenance and rent expenses totaling $7,302; payments of penalties, interest and late fees totaling $251.77; and the cost of the special investigation assessed against the State of Indiana of $55,544.
The investigation also turned up a bank loan issued on Nov. 12, 2015 allegedly used by Keller to pay fire service expenses and hide the misappropriation of funds. She’s accused of forging the signature of a volunteer fire department board member to obtain it.
The Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges of Theft as a Level 5 felony, Forgery as a Level 6 felony, Official Misconduct as a Level 6 felony and Violation of Itemization and Certification Rule as a Class A Misdemeanor against Keller. Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Crystal A. Brucker Kocher says in a statement this is an ongoing investigation.
