Plea hearing set for ex-Martinsville police chief accused of theft, misconduct

Peter Blanchard, The Reporter Times
·2 min read

MARTINSVILLE — A plea hearing has been scheduled in the case of a former Martinsville police chief charged with theft and official misconduct over unearned overtime and sick leave.

Attorneys in the case of the State of Indiana v. Matthew Long held a pre-trial conference via Zoom on Friday. Long was represented by attorney John Kautzman while the state was represented by Sonia Leerkamp.

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Kautzman said he has spoken with Leerkamp and both parties are close to reaching a plea agreement in the case.

A plea hearing has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on April 1 in Monroe County . Special Judge Valeri Haughton is presiding over the case.

Long
Long

Long was placed on administrative leave in January 2019, around the time the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA) released the results of an investigation into Long's earnings. The following month, the state filed criminal charges against Long, who was then placed on unpaid administrative leave in May 2019. He remains suspended without pay.

Between January 2016 and December 2018, Long accrued $6,786 in unearned overtime pay and $1,530 in sick leave, according to the audit. The report also found purported flaws in the city's handling of overtime and unused sick leave that is paid out to employees.

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The SBOA released a follow-up report in September 2019 where it detailed irregularities in the accounting for leave time of two police department employees, including an administrative assistant and Martinsville Police Lt. Blake Long, who is Matthew Long's brother.

State civil case

Long is also facing a civil plenary lawsuit from the state of Indiana, which is seeking to recoup his overtime pay as well as the $6,197 it cost the SBOA to conduct the audit.

Prosecutors are alleging they can collect triple the damages, which could amount to more than $42,000.

That case remains ongoing in Hendricks County. A hearing scheduled for Jan. 13 was postponed and a future court date has not been set.

Contact reporter Peter Blanchard at 765-346-2942 or pblanchard@reporter-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @peterlblanchard.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Ex- Martinsville police chief Matthew Long accused of theft, hearing