***MEDIA ADVISORY***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2018

GRAND JURY RETURNED INDICTMENTS ON FORMER PROCESS SERVERS

Media Contact: Vicki Elaine Becker (574) 296-1888

In September, 2017, Sheriff Brad Rogers reported to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for Elkhart County, and the Indiana State Police, that several civilian Process Server employees of the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department appeared to have been claiming hourly compensation for work they did not actually perform. This behavior was discovered by a Sheriff’s Department supervisor, and further inquiry demonstrated at least 2500 hours worth of compensation claimed, but not worked, which totaled approximately $45,000.00 paid amongst three (3) employees between 2014 and 2017. The Process Servers were terminated from employment with the Sheriff’s Department.

After discerning the depth of the alleged theft of unearned compensation, and reviewing the evidence and information collected, the Prosecuting Attorney convened a Grand Jury to further analyze the evidence and assist in the determination of whether criminal charges should be filed in the matter.

Under Indiana law, a Grand Jury is an investigative body authorized to hear and examine evidence concerning events during which criminal activity may have occurred. The Grand Jury is the exclusive judge of facts with respect to any matter it considers, and may subpoena any person to provide information if it believes that person may have evidence it wishes to consider. The Prosecuting Attorney is the legal advisor of the Grand Jury and must approve any indictment for it to be valid. The Grand Jury commenced on September 11, 2018, and was a secret proceeding under Indiana Law.

After two days of investigation assisted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Lucas Shoemake and Geovanny Martinez, the Grand Jury returned a True Bill for each of the three Targets, and indicted Susan G. Graves, Mary E. Letherman, and Steven R. Mock, for the crime of Theft in an amount greater than $750, a Level 6 Felony. The Elkhart Circuit Court has accepted the Grand Jury’s return, pursuant to which an arrest warrant has issued for each subject.

The Grand Jury process is very valuable to Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Becker as it assists her in understanding the general public’s perspective in certain types of cases. Engaged and impartial citizens such as these make our criminal justice system far better. Without the oversight, diligence, and transparency of the Sheriff’s Department, it is unlikely this behavior would have been brought to light.

***

“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”