Richard Kelly

Richard Kelly, former Sheriff of Clinton County, Indiana, resigned in June 2026 following several legal and ethical controversies involving his tenure. In June 2026, Kelly pleaded guilty in Clinton Circuit Court to one count of official misconduct and one count of conflict of interest, both Level 6 felonies, related to the misappropriation of jail commissary funds through a private company, Leonne LLC. He was sentenced to 2.5 years, suspended to one year of probation. A separate civil judgment previously found him and his wife liable for over $330,000 in misappropriated funds and audit costs. Kelly also faces pending felony charges in Marion County, where he is accused of aiding or enabling his wife, Ashley Kelly, in defrauding the Indiana State Police pension system of over $205,000 by claiming disability benefits while she was actively employed as a jail matron. Additionally, Kelly faces a misdemeanor charge in Hamilton County for unlawful possession of a handgun, allegedly carried while under felony indictment.