United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today, Anthony T. Leonard, 53, Clarksville, Ind., was charged with twenty-two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. His misrepresentations and false promises caused investors to invest over $1 million in his companies, nurseVersity LLC, Versity Edu, Versity Inc., and VersityU. 

“The false and fraudulent misrepresentations and promises Leonard made to unsuspecting investors is shameful.” said Minkler. “His lies and deceit caused a lot of pain and mistrust to the victims while he enriched himself with luxury. His fraud has come to an end and the victims can begin healing from this fraudster’s pain.”

Leonard developed a software product called nurseVersity, which was designed to assist nursing students in passing their nursing board examinations. My

From approximately 2013 through at least 2019, Leonard sought out investors to his companies, and in doing so, made numerous false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises pertaining to the financials of the companies, customer information, and ownership interests.

Leonard also misrepresented his qualifications, education, medical history, personnel issues, and provided many other false and fictitious reasons for needing money. All this was done for his personal benefit.

As a result, investors paid Leonard over $1 million for purported ownership interests and other rights to alleged sham companies. The majority of the funds received from these investors were used by Leonard and his wife for their personal enrichment. He purchased property in New Albany with a lake and buildings. He also enjoyed expensive dinners, trips, and other unrelated business expenses.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and United States Secret Service. These agencies were also assisted by the Indiana Secretary of State.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service, investigates any fraud in which the U.S. Mail is used.” said Acting Inspector in Charge Richard Sheehan. This investigation was an excellent example of a partnership between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, and the Indiana Secretary of State working together to combat those willing to defraud innocent customers and businesses from their money through illegal or nefarious means.”

“Today’s announcement is a direct result of the extraordinary cooperation and partnership among law enforcement agencies at all levels,” said Eric Reed, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service Indianapolis Field Office. “The defendant abused his position of trust for his own personal benefit by deliberately stealing millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors. This case represents the core of the Secret Service’s commitment to protecting the United States financial infrastructure and is a testament to the strong partnerships between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Indiana Secretary of State.”

According to Assistant United States Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum, who is prosecuting this case for the government, Leonard could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment, if convicted.

An complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are considered innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.

If anyone has invested money with or feels they might be a victim of Anthony T. Leonard, they are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution sentencing demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute complex and large-scale fraud schemes that undermine faith in the markets. (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Sections 5.1)

Today, Salem Community School Superintendent Jon Acton announced the school will delay the start of both in-person and virtual school until August 17 due to a staff member testing positive for Covid-19.

Acton said this employee was not in contact with any students but was in contact with fellow staff members. 

East and West Washington began in-person classes today (Aug. 5) and Salem had intended to go back as well but delayed the start date until August 10 so new Director of Convergence and Innovation John Skomp could help train teachers on the new online learning system. 

“In accordance with state and local guidance, all employees that were in direct contact with this individual are self-quarantining for 14 days,” Acton wrote in a release this afternoon.

“In order to deep clean facilities and maintain the safest environment for all students and staff, we have made the decision to delay the start of school from Monday, August 10th, until Monday, August 17th.  We will begin our school year on Monday, August 17th for both in-person and Online Lions students!”

All activities scheduled this week for middle school and elementary will be pushed back one week. 

High School athletics will proceed as originally scheduled.  Salem’s varsity boys are scheduled to play North Harrison at Paul A. Graves Athletic Field on Friday, August 21 at 7p. 

Acton said the school will provide additional updates by Friday, August 7th. 

“We thank you for your patience and understanding as we execute our safety protocols to create the safest learning environment possible for the students and staff of Salem Community Schools,” said Acton. 

Washington County’s number of Covid-19 cases has dramatically increased in the last week by 37 cases. 

It’s that time of year again when parents get excited and students are looking forward to going back to school! The Putnamville State Police Post would like to pass along some safety tips to help make sure that this school year is safe for everyone! 

Driving Safety Tips 

• ALWAYS watch for stopped school buses in the morning hours and afternoon hours.
• Watch for children walking to and from school and waiting at bus stops.    
• ALWAYS keep your eyes on the road and be patient driving behind school buses. 

School Zone Driving Safety Tips 

• Be on the lookout for school zone signals and ALWAYS obey the speed limits.
• When entering a school zone, be sure to slow down and obey all traffic laws.
• ALWAYS stop for school buses that are loading or unloading children.
• Watch out for school crossing guards and obey their signals.
• Be aware of and watch out for children near schools, bus stops, sidewalks, in the streets, and in school parking lots.
• NEVER pass other vehicles while driving in a school zone.
• NEVER text while driving in a school zone.
• Avoid using a cell phone, unless it is completely hands-free, while driving in a school zone.   

Walking to School Safety Tips

• Leave home early enough to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to the start of school.
• Use the same route every day and never use shortcuts.
• Go straight home after school. Do not go anywhere else without permission.
• Always use public sidewalks and streets when walking to school. 
• Try and walk to school with other students. There is strength in numbers.
• Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals and signs.
• Only cross streets at designated crosswalks.
• Always look both ways before crossing the street.
• Always walk and never run across intersections.
• Don’t talk to strangers. Teach your children to create distance between themselves and anyone who tries to approach or make contact with them.
• If a stranger does approach your child, make sure they know to immediately report the incident to you or a teacher.
• Teach your children to never get into a vehicle with anyone, even if they know them, without your permission.

School Bus Safety Tips

• Make it a habit of arriving at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus.
• Make sure your child stays out of the street and avoids excessive horseplay while waiting for the school bus.
• Be sure the bus comes to a complete stop before getting on or off.
• When riding the bus, make sure your child understands they must remain seated and keep their head and arms inside the bus at all times.
• Do not shout or distract the driver.
• Always listen to the instructions of the bus driver.  

Student Driver Safety Tips

• NO cell phones while driving.
• NO extra passengers.
• NO speeding.
• NO driving or riding without a seatbelt.  

These are just a few safety tips for this upcoming school year.  The Indiana State Police will have extra patrols during the school hours and will have a ZERO TOLERANCE for those who disregard a bus stop arm or speeding in school zones.  

Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation on May 17, 2020, after receiving information from Kara Cox of the Sullivan County Department of Child Services, that an eight-month-old baby had been neglected and abused.

The investigation, conducted by Master Trooper Detective Angie Hahn of the Putnamville State Police Post, revealed that a Farmersburg couple had allegedly committed neglect of an eight-month-old baby resulting in injury, and had placed the baby in dangerous situations.

After reviewing the investigation, Sullivan County Prosecutor Ann Smith-Mischler issued an arrest warrant for Nancy I. Sperling (mother), age 25, of Farmersburg, Indiana, and Austin L. Barnard (boyfriend), age 26, of Farmersburg, Indiana.  Both were arrested yesterday afternoon without incident and are being held in the Sullivan County Jail.

Assisting Agency:  Sullivan County Department of Child Service.

Arrested and Charges: 

 Nancy I. Sperling, 25, Farmersburg, IN

• Neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, Level 5 Felony
• Neglect of a dependent placing dependent in a situation that endangers the dependent, Level 6 Felony 

Austin L. Barnard, 26, Farmersburg, IN

• Neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, Level 5 Felony
• Neglect of a dependent placing a dependent in situation that endangers the dependent, Level 6 Felony

Photo 1: Nancy I Sperling

Photo 2:  Austin L. Barnard  

Under the law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

July 29, 2020, at approximately 11:10 p.m., Trooper William Clark of the Putnamville State Police Post was patrolling and initiated a traffic stop on a Pontiac Grand Prix at Judy Lane and Main Street, in Sullivan, IN,  for failure to stop at a stop sign. 

Further investigation by Trooper Clark revealed that the driver was a female juvenile and that she displayed signs of impairment. 

The juvenile agreed to submit to a certified test, and failed. 

She was cited, and released to her parents.   

A passenger in the vehicle was identified as James H. Hightshoe, age 51, of Vevay, Indiana.  The Pontiac Grand Prix belonged to Hightshoe. 

The criminal activity was detected and a search was conducted.  During the search it was discovered that Hightshoe had methamphetamine, 4 hypodermic syringes, marijuana, and paraphernalia in his possession. 

Hightshoe was arrested and taken to the Sullivan County Jail where he is currently being held.

Arrested and Charges:  James H. Hightshoe, 51, Vevay, IN

• Possession of Methamphetamine, Felony 4
• Possession of Hypodermic Syringe, Felony 6 
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Class A Misdemeanor
• Possession of Marijuana, Class A Misdemeanor  

Assisting:  Trooper Justin Bell of the Putnamville State Police Post and Officer Eberhardt of the Sullivan City Police Department.   

All criminal defendants are presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

“Dogbone” interchange to be built under 99-day closure

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor E&B Paving Inc. plans to close the S.R. 11 interchange at I-65 in Jackson County (Exit 55) on or after Monday, August 10, to begin work on a $7.8 million reconstruction project.

Under the 99-day closure, all entrance and exit ramps, as well as the S.R. 11 overpass will be closed to traffic while existing ramps are removed and the area is reconfigured to a “dog bone” interchange.

The new interchange will feature two single-lane roundabouts with interior truck aprons on either side of the S.R. 11 overpass, resembling a dog bone from above.

“Dog bone” interchanges allow free-flow thru movement and also accommodate left and right-turns via the two roundabouts. These types of interchanges also increase safety as intersection conflict points are significantly reduced, vehicle speeds are slower, stop signs and signals are eliminated, and traffic is able to move more efficiently through the area.

The interchange project is a safety improvement being added to the $143 million added travel lanes contract on I-65 between Seymour and Columbus, following a pattern of serious crashes at or near the interchange, including three fatalities.

By utilizing the existing contract and contractor, the work can be completed in a quicker time frame, providing benefits to motorists sooner rather than later.

The official detour for the closure will follow S.R. 46 in Columbus to U.S. 31 to U.S. 50 in Seymour. The interchange is expected to reopen in November.

Drivers are reminded to slow down, use extra caution and travel distraction-free through all work zones. All work is weather dependent.

On July 31, 2020, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Sullivan County Sheriff Clark Cottom contacted the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post Criminal Investigation Division requesting assistance with an alleged shooting that had occured at 603 East Depot Street in Hymera, Indiana.  

Detectives arrived at the scene and found probable cause to believe the victim, Trenton Keller, age 33, of Jasonville, Indiana, was shot multiple times at this residence after having a verbal altercation with Dustin L. Turley, age 33, of Jasonville, Indiana.  Immediately after the shooting, witnesses stated that Turley ran from the residence, running south into the woodline. At this time Dustin L. Turley is still actively on the run.

Sullivan County emergency medical personnel attended to Keller and he was immediately transported to Regional Hospital in Terre Haute.  Keller was then airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, for treatment of his injuries.   

Through the course of the investigation, detectives have received an active warrant for Dustin L. Turley for attempted murder.  If you come into contact, or see Turley, immediately call 911 or contact the Putnamville State Police Post at 1-800-225-8576.  

Assisting Agencies:  Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, Sullivan City Police Department, Shelburn Town Marshall, Jasonville Police Department, Farmersburg Town Marshall, and an Indiana Conservation Officer.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced that more than 200 law enforcement agencies will be conducting extra patrols to safeguard students as they get on and off the bus this fall.

Over the next couple of months, officers will be positioned along bus stops and routes looking for stop-arm violations and motorists driving dangerously.

The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute last year, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As part of the effort, officers will work with local school corporations and bus drivers to identify problem areas where the highest number of violations occur.

“Police officers are stepping up their efforts to keep kids safe, but they can’t be in all places at all times,” Gov. Holcomb said. “School bus safety is everyone’s responsibility. That means paying attention to the road and driving cautiously when buses are around.”

In 2019, thousands of bus drivers in Indiana participated in an annual survey and reported more than 2,500 stop-arm violations in a single day. Taking that one-day total as an average, that means an estimated 450,000 violations could have occurred during the 2019 school year.

In Indiana, it’s against the law for motorists to pass a bus that’s stopped and has its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended. This applies to all roads, with one exception. On multi-lane roads divided by a physical barrier or unpaved median, vehicles traveling the opposite direction of the bus may proceed with due caution.

“Always err on the side of caution when it comes to school bus safety. If you’re not sure what to do, just stop,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “The best way to think about it is to drive like it’s your child boarding or riding that bus.”

Working to address this issue, state lawmakers passed legislation last year that increased the penalty for stop-arm violations. Under the law, motorists can have their license suspended for 90 days or up to one year, depending on the number of previously committed violations.

Additionally, today’s announcement comes one month after Indiana’s new hands-free device driving law went into effect – a key piece of Gov. Holcomb’s 2020 legislative agenda. The law prohibits motorists from holding mobile devices in their hands while driving, with the exception of dialing 911 in an emergency.

“We’re sending a clear message that driving with anything less than your full attention is unacceptable,” Gov. Holcomb said. “This is about preventing senseless crashes and making sure Hoosiers get from point A to B safely.”

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety

The Emergency Medical Commission and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security released an audit of the Washington County Ambulance Service where it did not meet 14 of 51 audited requirements. 

The violations include expired medications, not enough meds, and supplies on the trucks. 

This audit was performed on January 28, 2020 and was released to Scott McFelea, former ambulance service director, Steve Young, the service’s training officer, and to Dr. Jeff Morgan, the medical director of the ambulance service. 

There were 11 sections under four categories – Provider Operations, Vehicle and Equipment, Communications and Advanced Life Support.

According to Washington County Council President Karen Wischmeier said all of the violations were corrected.

Wischmeier said current ambulance director Nick Oleck and Dr. Morgan fixed all of the issues that were unmet in the audit. 

“I was not given a copy of this report until the new director (Nick Oleck) gave it to me,” said Wischmeier.

She said Oleck was a former supervisor of the Scott County Ambulance Service prior to being hired earlier this year as the Washington County Ambulance Director. 

She said at the time the audit was performed, McFelea was the ambulance director and the operations manager. 

Phillip Marshall is the president of the ambulance board as well as president of the Washington County Board of Commissioners. 

Wischmeier is vice-president of the ambulance board and President of the Washington County Council.

County Councilmember Rondale Brishaber is also on the board. 

“By having an ambulance board in place, you have a fiscal oversight from the council with a 2-1 vote,” said Wischmeier. “Any large purchases that are made, then they need to be addressed and approved not only by the board but also by the commissioners. If you put all three commissioners on that board, you’ve lost the additional oversight of the board. Now it’s all one unit…there’s not further discussion made.”

“I  was told that the issues within the ambulance service began long before I stepped onto the board on 01/01/2020,” Wischmeier said.

McFelea was appointed as the interim ambulance director in July 2019. 

He was given 6 months to address the issues within the department, Wischmeier said.

“The board was under the impression from the department that things were being addressed, however they were becoming aware of other issues through members of the public,” Wischmeier wrote in an email.

Then in December 2019, she said, an outside source contacted Homeland Security regarding the concerns within the department. 

Homeland Security came down in January and conducted the audit inspection which resulted in the report.   

“The board was told that the audit was fine and that they passed everything,” said Wischmeier.  

“We asked McFelea to step down from the leadership role in early February.  

She said Oleck was hired near the end of February and he was given a copy of the audit report from Homeland Security within a day or two from his first day. 

She said Oleck was given 18 days to resolve the issues on the audit report and he fixed them within less than two weeks.

VIOLATIONS BY SECTION

The department met all three items of the Reports and records section. 

Under Audit and Review, the department met six of eight areas with a deficiency reported as “problem identification and resolution” and “method identifying needs for staff development.”

Notes from the IDHS were that the “audit and reviews are done monthly during monthly in-service training,” “Medical Director isn’t involved in the audit and reviews” and “Reports are pulled based on what in-service is being performed that month.”

The second section of Training was all met according to state standards. 

The notes under that section read, “training records were lost when the last training officer terminated employment” and “training officer advised that he does hard copies and electronic files.”

Under operating procedures, the department received five compliance marks and four non-compliance marks, including:

Medication and supplies have not exceeded the expiration date

• Written defined sanitation procedure
• Vehicle equipment, supplies, and storage comply with code
• Vehicle and equipment check sheets completed per shift and on file. 

Notes under this section include – “all trucks aren’t inspected daily. Should be completed daily on all trucks. Narcs aren’t checked daily either. No sanitation procedures for cleaning of the trucks.”

Under the Certification of Ambulance Service Providers, the only two items the department met were staffing and scheduling and established signs and protocols. 

Those three items not met were: 

Medical Director fulfills the following responsibilities 

• Participates in Audit and Review (not met) 
• Participates in Skills Review/Evaluation (not met)
• Is available to staff for consultation and assistance

Notes on this section included “medical director is hard to contact. doesn’t read emails regular[ly] unless directed to check his email. [the] medical director isn’t involved in audit and review. it’s done inhouse by [the] training officer.” 

There was an item not met under Vehicles and Equipment. However, there is a note to see [the] inspection form that is attached to the audit, however, the copy provided to WSLM did not have any attachments. 

The item under insurance was met, with the note – “all vehicles are county-owned and maintained.”

All items under Communication were met with the note “dispatching [is] done by a county dispatch center”

The three items under the Emergency Medical Services Vehicle Radio Equipment were all met. There were no notes in this section. 

One item under Advanced Life Support was listed as unmet was  an item called “Medication Per Protocol, Properly Stored and Not Expired” with the following note – “Protocols don’t list type and quantities of drugs required”

The next section included items listed as Advanced EMT and Paramedic. 

Those items unmet were 

• All Advanced Life Support medications are present, sufficient quantity and not expired
• Is the provider giving specialty care (exceeding Indiana curriculum)
• If yes, above, does protocol/medical director cover this? 

There were no follow up notes for these items. 

“Homeland Security performs these audits in order to make sure a department is meeting state standards,” she said. 

“Any ill things on this report about Dr. Morgan, are in my opinion, probably not his fault. I don’t feel he did anything wrong due to a lack of communication from the department,” stated Wischmeier.

“There was a strong lack of communication in that department,” said Wischmeier.

Attached is a copy of the audit – Washington Co EMS Provider audit 2020