EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEVV) — Former Vanderburgh County Commissioner Ben Shoulders was arrested and faces multiple charges, including attempted fraud on a financial institution, two counts of filing a fraudulent election report, and other misdemeanors.
The Evansville Police Department (EPD) announced the arrest on Wednesday. According to EPD, Shoulders reported on October 20 that he noticed several suspicious eBay purchases on his campaign bank statement, listed under “Shoulders For Commissioner.” He had requested reimbursement from the bank for these charges, which he claimed were unauthorized.
Following Shoulders’ report, the Financial Crimes Unit launched an in-depth investigation, reviewing records from bank and campaign transactions, donations, and cell phone logs. Their findings revealed numerous discrepancies in the “Shoulders For Commissioner” account, with documented donations to local non-profits that, according to detectives, never took place. Additionally, sports memorabilia, allegedly not purchased by Shoulders, was found to have been shipped directly to his address. Investigators also discovered that checks had been transferred from the campaign account to another account solely controlled by Shoulders.
The EPD reports that approximately $55,000 in campaign funds was misappropriated. Shoulders, who resigned in January and stated he would not seek re-election, was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail on a $500 bond.