Former Sheriff Admits To Theft

INDIANAPOLIS -- Putnam County Sheriff Mark Frisbie, who resigned last week, was charged Wednesday with federal program theft.

Frisbie, 38, of Greencastle, was accused of misapplication of funds from a government agency that received federal funds.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Morrison said Frisbie stole more than $12,500 from the sheriff's department between January 2006 and March 2007 from about $45,000 in federal grant money that had been received.

Morrison said Frisbie used a county credit card and checking account inappropriately on several occasions.

Frisbie was accused of using the funding to reimburse expenses incurred by his private company, Frisbie Security Consulting, pay for travel expenses incurred by his wife's daughter, cover the cost of expenses for meals and incidentals that had already been paid for, pay for supplies related to his re-election campaign and pay for a personal business trip.

"There's no trying to shove anything under the rug. He's standing up and admitted, 'Look I'm embarrassed, this is catastrophic, what I did is wrong and I have to stand up and take full and complete responsibility for that,'" Frisbie's attorney, Robert Hammerle, told 6News' Jack Rinehart.

Hammerle said Frisbie will enter a guilty plea to the theft charge on Aug. 29. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and maximum possible fine of $250,000.

Frisbie turned in his resignation on Aug. 15.