COLUMBUS, Ind. – Bartholomew County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Holden announced Wednesday, January 21, that Benjamin Jackson, former Columbus Township Trustee, has been sentenced by Special Judge Matthew Bailey to a term of 28 years.
In July 2025, Jackson was charged with nine counts of Theft and nine counts of Official Misconduct. He resigned from his trustee position after the Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation in November 2024 into irregularities in the township's finances involving credit card purchases.
The Indiana State Board of Accounts published a special investigation report in May 2025, documenting $1,123,334 in personal expenses paid for with credit cards for Columbus Township. On November 10, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty to all 18 counts.
Prosecutor Holden stated, “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. Today’s sentence, along with the Court’s order that the defendant pay $1,123,334 in restitution, holds him fully accountable for the harm that he caused."
Regarding the sentence, 26 of the 28 years are to be served in the Indiana Department of Correction, with the remaining two years suspended to probation.
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