Sell 4 Free Real Estate
Kleinhelter Decertification Hearing Moves Forward: Under Investigation and On the Green
The decertification case against Dubois County Sheriff Kleinhelter is moving forward.
Dubois County Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter has served since his election in 2018, having secured a
second term in 2022. Last year, he was the subject of an investigation into the misappropriation
of jail commissary funds. Although no charges were filed, the Oct. 27 Dubois County Council
meeting agenda listed a review of commissary spending with Kleinhelter. A recent records
request involving golf tee times sparked even more controversy as the sheriff’s police
certification hangs in the balance.
According to the request, Kleinhelter reserved 17 tee times at Buffalo Trace Golf Course in
Jasper between May and September of 2025. 12 of these were between 9 and 5 on weekdays,
with another 5 between 8:20 and 8:50. Since Buffalo Trace is owned by the City of Jasper, they
were compelled to provide the requested information.
Dennis Tedrow, chair of the Dubois County Democrats, found the tee times booked during
working hours to be problematic, saying:
"The thing that I think is worrisome is that contextually when you put those, you know, you put
all these pieces together that Kleinhelter's been in this kind of trouble with not only the county
but the state as far as his commissary misuse or the misuse of commissary funds. You would
think that if somebody's already, you know, being scrutinized that they would spend less time
at the golf course and more time trying to get the department in order, but it seems like
that's completely gone by the wayside and he's more focused on just riding out his term and
continuing to do what he wants to do. So, it's not necessarily the fact that, you know, someone
in a leadership position is golfing so much that's bad.
Like, it really just falls into place with the context of everything else that has been going on with
him. Yeah, I mean the one thing that I really just keep trying to drive home is that it's not fair to
all of the other deputies and people working in the Sheriff's Department. There are a lot of
good people working in that department and their names are getting dragged through the mud
in this too and I know that they're getting a lot of questions and scrutiny from their friends and
family as well and it's just at the top, it's the leadership at the top that is bringing the entire
department down.”
The sheriff, on the other hand, maintains that there is no impropriety. WITZ reached out to the
Dubois County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but has received no response.
The newest claims against the sheriff are, in many ways, connected to prior allegations. An
affidavit filed by Lt. Hearon during the jail funds investigation provided details about the
sheriff’s expenses and reimbursements. This documentation shows that professional travel to
conferences often included charges for personal activities including golf. One such expense
included a golf trip to Florida that was listed as a training event. Supporting materials reviewed
in the investigation included photos and receipts that suggested Kleinhelter spent significant
time on the golf course. During scheduled sessions of the 2021 National Sheriffs’ Association
Conference in Scottsdale, records indicate that the sheriff spent up to 5 hours a day at golf
courses, on two separate days. The findings could establish a pattern of behavior relevant to
the new claims of misused time on duty.
Although the special prosecutor declined to press charges after the ISP’s misconduct
investigation, the sheriff has not escaped scrutiny. As reported by multiple news outlets, the
Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board voted in August to proceed with administrative
charges including fraud, perjury, false informing, and criminal misconduct. This week,
Kleinhelter and his attorney, Jim Voyles, appeared at a meeting at the Indiana Law Enforcement
Academy in Plainfield with the ILEA’s decertification subcommittee. Initial discovery for both
parties will be exchanged on December 30, 2025, with additional discovery due at the end of
January 2026. A two-day evidentiary hearing was scheduled for April 2026, moving the case
forward. The board will decide whether or not Kleinhelter will retain his law enforcement
credentials.
This story is ongoing, and WITZ will provide more information as it becomes available.
For more information on these and other updates, visit www.witzamfm.com/news