(Bartholomew County, IN) – Special Judge Matthew Bailey of Decatur County sentenced a former Columbus area township trustee to 26 years in prison for stealing more than a million dollars from taxpayers.
Benjamin Jackson was the subject of a massive credit card fraud investigation.
Investigators say Jackson used $1,123,334.27 in public funds for personal vacations and home improvements.
The sentence was 28 years, but Judge Bailey suspended two years to probation.
Along with serving time in prison, Jackson must pay full restitution.
“This 28-year sentence reflects the extraordinary scope of the defendant’s greed and the devastating breach of trust he committed against the taxpayers he was elected to serve. For
nearly a decade, he treated public funds as his personal bank account, stealing more than one million dollars from the very community that depended on him to act with integrity, said Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden. “Today’s sentence, along with the Court’s order that the defendant pay $1,123,334.27 in restitution, holds him fully accountable for the harm that he caused.
“This sentence sends a clear and unmistakable message that corruption at any level of government will be met with serious consequences,” Holden added.
