Two Seymour Police Officers Arrested After Lengthy Investigation

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  • bwframe

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    Two Seymour Police Officers Arrested After Lengthy Investigation

    INDIANA STATE POLICE
    VERSAILLES DISTRICT
    902 S. Adams Street
    Versailles, IN 47042

    www.in.gov/isp

    FOR RELEASE: Upon Receipt



    CONTACT:
    Sgt. Stephen Wheeles
    Public Information Officer
    (812)689-5000

    February 12, 2020



    Two Seymour Police Officers Arrested After Lengthy Investigation

    Today, detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post arrested two officers with the Seymour Police Department on charges of official misconduct, ghost employment, and theft.

    The investigation into the officers began in October 2019 when allegations of ghost employment were made against former Chief William “Bill” Abbott, and current Captain Carl Lamb. Detectives with the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post were requested to conduct the investigation.

    During the four month investigation, detectives determined that Abbott was employed by Schneck Medical Center to schedule off duty officers to provide security at the hospital. The investigation indicated that he allegedly performed his duties for Schneck Medical Center while he was also working in his official capacity with the Seymour Police Department.

    The investigation also determined that Lamb, while on duty as a member of the Seymour Police Department, allegedly worked outside employment for K4 Security out of Jeffersonville, Indiana. K4 Security had a contract to provide off duty police officers for work in the construction zone on I-65. Lamb coordinated and scheduled off duty Seymour Police Officers to work the security job while he was on duty with the Seymour Police Department. He was paid by K4 Security for those hours while also being paid by the Seymour Police Department.

    Lamb also was a part-owner and employee of BSafe Tactical, Seymour, Indiana. BSafe provided training to area schools, churches, and businesses. The investigation determined that Lamb allegedly worked for BSafe Tactical and received payment while also on duty in his official capacity with the Seymour Police Department.

    At the conclusion of the investigation, the case was turned over to a special prosecutor for review. This resulted in felony charges of Official Misconduct, Ghost Employment, and Theft charges being filed on Abbott and Lamb.

    Both were taken into custody without incident and incarcerated at the Jackson County Jail.

    Both Abbott and Lamb have remained on administrative leave from the Seymour Police Department during the investigation.

    No further information will be released about the investigation at this time.

    -30- SGT. STEPHEN WHEELES

    Under the Law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    Alamo

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    I'm still trying to figure out if what is described are really crimes.

    Doing paid work for a private employer while being paid by the government to do government work sounds like something that would be illegal. A form of theft?

    ETA: Looks like the Indiana IG says it's a no-no ethically, but don't know if any criminal penalties attach: https://www.in.gov/ig/2341.htm
     
    Last edited:

    HoughMade

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    Doing paid work for a private employer while being paid by the government to do government work sounds like something that would be illegal. A form of theft?

    ETA: Looks like the Indiana IG says it's a no-no ethically, but don't know if any criminal penalties attach: https://www.in.gov/ig/2341.htm

    Did you see the "except" part in the statute?

    Look at it this way- not every job is active all the time. I am not defending these guys and don't know what happened, but what if a guy was sitting in his patrol vehicle and took 10 minutes to write out a work schedule for the non-police employer? A crime? really?

    I don't work for the government, but I used to teach in a law school. I frequently prepared for class while I was at the office during "work hours", but I don't get paid for the hours i am in the office, I get paid for the work I complete, so who cares?

    I'm just saying that this doesn't seem like a huge issue. Maybe improper, but criminal? This smells like a local politics unit measuring contest to me.
     

    Alamo

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    Did you see the "except" part in the statute?

    ....

    Yes, I did, but if the agency hasn't provided for for the exception, it is still a no-no.

    I would not get hot and bothered by a a guy spending a few minutes writing notes in his police car either (assuming there's no active policing needed), but if he is running a side-business when he's supposed to be doing cop-business, then yeah, there's a problem. And it does sound like this was more than a few notes. Did you see that the one officer was accused of being paid to work security for a construction zone while he was also on-duty collecting pay from the city? That seems well beyond 10 minutes.

    Oh, and Columbus PD too: Ghost employment investigation turned over to special prosecutor and the city wants their money back: https://www.theindychannel.com/news...nds-while-they-worked-at-hospital-audit-shows
     

    Alamo

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    This appears to be the actual statute:

    [FONT=&amp]IC 35-44-2-4
    Ghost employment
    35-44-2-4 Sec. 4. (a) A public servant who knowingly or intentionally:
    (1) hires an employee for the governmental entity that he serves; and
    (2) fails to assign to the employee any duties, or assigns to the employee any duties not related to the operation of the governmental entity;
    commits ghost employment, a Class D felony.
    (b) A public servant who knowingly or intentionally assigns to an employee under his supervision any duties not related to the operation of the governmental entity that he serves commits ghost employment, a Class D felony.
    (c) A person employed by a governmental entity who, knowing[/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp]that he has not been assigned any duties to perform for the entity, accepts property from the entity commits ghost employment, a Class D felony.
    (d) A person employed by a governmental entity who knowingly or intentionally accepts property from the entity for the performance of duties not related to the operation of the entity commits ghost employment, a Class D felony.
    (e) Any person who accepts property from a governmental entity in violation of this section and any public servant who permits the payment of property in violation of this section are jointly and severally liable to the governmental entity for that property. The attorney general may bring a civil action to recover that property in the county where the governmental entity is located or the person or public servant resides.
    (f) For the purposes of this section, an employee of a governmental entity who voluntarily performs services:
    (1) that do not:
    (A) promote religion;
    (B) attempt to influence legislation or governmental policy; or
    (C) attempt to influence elections to public office;
    (2) for the benefit of:
    (A) another governmental entity; or
    (B) an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
    (3) with the approval of the employee's supervisor; and
    (4) in compliance with a policy or regulation that:
    (A) is in writing;
    (B) is issued by the executive officer of the governmental entity; and
    (C) contains a limitation on the total time during any calendar year that the employee may spend performing the services during normal hours of employment;
    is considered to be performing duties related to the operation of the governmental entity.
    As added by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.58. Amended by P.L.68-1998, SEC.1.[/FONT]
     

    Ingomike

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    Not sure how it is today, but 20 years ago companies like Yellow Freight had hourly city drivers that sometimes were charged with "stealing time" for taking too long of breaks and lunches.
     

    Gabriel

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    Did you see the "except" part in the statute?

    Look at it this way- not every job is active all the time. I am not defending these guys and don't know what happened, but what if a guy was sitting in his patrol vehicle and took 10 minutes to write out a work schedule for the non-police employer? A crime? really?

    I don't work for the government, but I used to teach in a law school. I frequently prepared for class while I was at the office during "work hours", but I don't get paid for the hours i am in the office, I get paid for the work I complete, so who cares?

    I'm just saying that this doesn't seem like a huge issue. Maybe improper, but criminal? This smells like a local politics unit measuring contest to me.

    I agree that scheduling off duty employment while working is a non-issue, especially doing it while it's slow or between calls. Now, getting paid by two employers for claiming the same hours to both of them is not good.
     

    87iroc

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    Met Chief Abbott. Seemed like a good guy. I believe this may be much ado about nothing. I feel like the article is more like 'Man arrested, had 10 guns and 1500 rounds of ammo and equipment to make thousands more' headline.
     

    Sigblitz

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    Nothing in the code pertains to what's going on. They shouldn't have been arrested. It doesn't say anything about accepting property from a private employer and shirking your duties at work. So this is not a crime, and they're charged with felonies. It's an employee employer issue.
     

    Vigilant

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    Bsafe isn’t the training company that usually hosts Craig Douglas is it? I know there were a few Seymour officers big into outside training, just hoping this ain’t them?
     

    Dead Duck

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    o7gqQe2.jpg
     
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