Indiana Governor Mike Braun has removed Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter from the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board following a failed settlement agreement and ongoing criminal charges.
The move came Monday, just hours after a divided training board rejected a proposed settlement that would have allowed Kleinhelter to remain a certified law enforcement officer until 2027. The board instead voted to send the case back for further review after nearly an hour of debate and criticism from current and former law enforcement officials, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
The proposed agreement would have required Kleinhelter to immediately resign from the board while delaying the surrender of his law enforcement certification until January 1, 2027. The measure ultimately failed in a 9-4 vote.
Following the board’s decision, Braun announced Kleinhelter’s removal, citing a recommendation from Indiana State Police Superintendent Anthony Scott, who chairs the board, along with the breakdown of the settlement.
Kleinhelter, who was originally appointed to the board by former Governor Eric Holcomb, had also been serving on the board’s decertification subcommittee reviewing his own case.
He was charged April 9 with false informing and official misconduct. Investigators allege he made multiple false statements to the Indiana State Police during a 2024 investigation involving theft and fraud.
Despite the charges and board action, Kleinhelter remains in office as Dubois County sheriff and still holds his law enforcement credentials. A formal decertification request is still pending before the training board.
Kleinhelter did not attend Monday’s meeting at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield.
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