Clay County township trustee arrested for theft, forgery

A former Clay County, Ind., township trustee was arrested Friday on nine counts of felony charges of theft and forgery allegedly committed during his term as trustee.

Paul Hackett, who served as a Van Buren township trustee from 2007 to 2010, is accused of stealing $71,023.21 from Van Buren township coffers.

The Indiana State Police launched an investigation in May 2010 after the State Board of Accounts, which is responsible for monitoring local government finance in Indiana, contacted the state police.

The board notified the police that numerous township checks had been issued and signed by Hackett for personal gain, all during his time as township trustee.

The State Board of Accounts first realized something illegal might be going on when a utility company contacted it about a check allegedly signed by Hackett. The board initiated an audit and discovered multiple other checks.

Some of the money from the checks Hackett allegedly wrote was used for home utility bills, vehicle repair bills, automobile payments, personal credit card payments and various other personal items, all allegedly paid for with taxpayers money.

Hackett was arrested at his home and was incarcerated in the Clay County Jail on $10,000 bond. He was charged with one count of forgery, a Class C felony, and eight counts of theft, a Class D felony.

— Zach Ammerman