(GOSHEN) – An Elkhart County grand jury has indicted two people on multiple charges.

The Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office say Elkhart County Clerk Christopher Anderson and Chief Deputy Clerk Carol Smith have been indicted on charges of official misconduct and criminal conversion. The indictment stems from allegations than Anderson and Smith approved the expenditure of public money without having the proper authorization.

In September 2024, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana State Board of Accounts were contacted about some clerk employees that were receiving payment for hours that they didn’t work, and that this had been going on for several years.

The Prosecutor’s Office says a public report found that Anderson was aware of this practice of paying supervisors for 80 hours, even though they only had to work 72 hours. They also allege that Smith had sent an e-mail to a newly appointed supervisor of the Clerk’s Office in August 2022 that they would be paid for more hours than they were actually working.

Anderson and Smith are both facing felony charges of official misconduct and misdemeanors counts of criminal conversion. Both were ordered to turn themselves in, which they did on Wednesday.

They have been scheduled to have their initial hearings on September 11.