UPDATED at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday with an Indiana State Police news release and probable cause affidavit.
Former Jackson County Auditor Staci Eglen was arrested Friday afternoon on a Jackson Circuit Court warrant for 10 Level 6 felony charges.
The 44-year-old Cortland woman faces four counts of fraud (credit card), four counts of theft of property valued at least $750 and less than $50,000 and two counts of official misconduct. A Level 6 felony is punishable by six months to two years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, upon conviction.
According to a news release from Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Eglen’s arrest stems from a month-long investigation launched in April by the detectives with the Indiana State Post at Versailles. That probe involved allegations of misconduct that had occurred when Eglen was auditor and that were uncovered by investigators with the Indiana State Board of Accounts.
Wheeles, the post public information officer, said that during the investigation, detectives determined Eglen altered two invoices for goods and services and then submitted the altered invoices to the Jackson County Treasurer’s Office for reimbursement. She then deposited the checks issued by the treasurer into her personal bank accounts.
Eglen also received at least two checks from the treasurer that were issued to her to be used in her official capacity as an employee of the Hamilton Township Trustee’s Office. She allegedly deposited the checks into her personal bank account and received cash that was used for personal purchases.
In total, Eglen allegedly obtained in excess of $18,000 illegally from the county through fraud and theft. Eglen told Indiana State Police and the Indiana State Board of Accounts that she was having some personal issues and was in need of some extra money, according to the probable cause affidavit.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was presented to a special prosecutor that had been assigned to the case, Wheeles reported.
Eglen was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 2:44 p.m. Friday and was released at 3:30 p.m. Saturday after posting a $1,505 bond.
Eglen, a Republican, resigned as auditor on May 3 and was replaced by Jamie Pyle of Brownstown during a caucus of precinct committee men and women held May 20 at the courthouse. Pyle was a candidate on the Republican primary ballot for auditor on May 7. She was the administrative assistant to Eglen this past year and previously worked as a probate clerk in the Jackson Circuit Court since 2014.
A new county auditor will be elected Nov. 5.
Reporter Erika Malone contributed to this story.