The Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board is weighing whether Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter should lose his law enforcement certification, according to reporting from the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
The board’s decertification subcommittee was asked to review the case after the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy flagged findings from a 2024 State Board of Accounts audit. That audit questioned more than $16,000 in commissary spending at the county jail and was later forwarded to state police for investigation.
Although a special prosecutor declined to file charges, the training board moved ahead with administrative charges that include fraud, perjury, false informing, and misconduct. Allegations include mislabeling commissary expenses, improperly seeking reimbursement, and misrepresenting a canceled airline trip refund.
Even if Kleinhelter were decertified, he could still serve as sheriff, since Indiana’s constitution does not require the officeholder to hold police certification. Candidates for sheriff must only meet residency and voter eligibility requirements.
The decertification process begins with a hearing before a five-member subcommittee, which can recommend permanent decertification, suspension, or conditions such as additional training. A final decision would rest with the full 23-member board, of which Kleinhelter is currently a member. He would not be allowed to participate in his own case.
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