Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising faces first day of felony trial

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising strolled into the first day of her theft trial wearing a Panama City Beach, Florida, hoodie sweatshirt.

Panama City Beach is where a USA Today Network photographer on assignment for the Journal & Courier photographed the trustee living her in travel trailer on Dec. 22, 2020. She'd lived there since late October, not at 132 Knox Drive, which Teising claims is her residence since she sold her West Lafayette home in June 2020.

Teising's residency is the center of the case for prosecutors and Teising's defense.

The case revolves around whether officeholders can reside at a home where they do not stay until after the media shine a light on the officeholders' absence from the political district.

Where does Jennifer Teising live?

Indiana State Police Detective Ben Rector testified that Teising's cars and travel trailer were registered to Teising at 132 Knox Drive. But her Amazon orders were being delivered to her between June and October 2020 to an address in Anderson.

But Teising still claims to reside at 132 Knox Drive in West Lafayette and had her voter registration changed on July 7, 2020, to that address, according to Rector's testimony.

Knox Drive neighbors told the Journal & Courier in December 2020 that Teising did not stay at that the house.

A grand jury indicted Teising on May 12 of 20 counts of theft for receiving her paycheck between June 2020 and March 2021 while allegedly residing outside of the township. Grand jurors indicted her on an additional count of theft in July for allegedly residing outside of the township between April through June 2021.

Rector testified that Teising's bank records indicate she made most of her purchases outside of Tippecanoe County and far away from the Knox Drive residence Teising claims. The records are for June 2020 through spring 2021.

"It showed me she would not be in the area for a long period of time," Rector said of Teising's purchases.

Teising's attorney, Karen Celestino-Horseman, pointed to the purchases in the West Lafayette area as signs that Teising returned to her Knox Drive residence. However, there is no evidence yet presented to indicate that Teising lived at the home.

Fire chief tracks trustee's location

Former Fire Chief Ed Ward testified Teising sent him an invitation to track her phone, which he did.

He shared Teising's location with the Journal & Courier, which indicated Teising's unofficial residences during the summer, fall and winter of 2020.

Teising lived at 624 High St., in Anderson, in rural Sheffield Township at the farmhouse home of Tippecanoe County Councilwoman Lisa Dullum and at Daytona City Beach, Florida, in a RV park.

Ward has told the Journal & Courier her phone never pinged at the Knox Drive home.

Teising apparently discovered that he was able to track her phone after the Journal & Courier's Dec. 22, 2020, investigation into her residency was published, Ward said, indicating that Teising rescinded his ability to track her after that.

Ward said Teising returned in February 2020 from a vacation in Florida and told him she planned to sell her West Lafayette house and move there.

She made plans to train former Wabash Township Board President Michelle Wietbrock to take her office when she left, Ward testified.

Teising sold her house on June 16, 2020, according to Rector's testimony. But Teising continued to be trustee, even though evidence presented Monday morning indicated she lived at various places throughout the country, not at the residence on her legal documents.

Rector testified bank records indicate that Teising had transactions in the Lafayette area in late December 2020.

This coincided with her arrival at the Knox Drive home, as observed by the Journal & Courier, while she addressed problems she created when she fired Ward.

The J&C did not see Teising at the Knox Drive house from early January until March, and Rector testified bank records indicated her last local transaction was Jan. 7. Rector said bank records indicated she was not back in the Lafayette area until March.

To the issue of residency, prosecutors called Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush as a witness.

She testified Monday that homeless people often stay at several houses, and when they register to vote, she and election workers instructed the homeless to register at the address where they lay their head down at night. The place where they spend most of their time.

Teising's voter registration was changed on July 7 to Knox Drive, and Teising voted in the Nov. 3, 2020, election by absentee ballot. Teising turned that ballot in on Oct. 22, according to Roush's testimony

The trial is scheduled to continue through Wednesday morning.

Trustees forfeit their office if they do not reside inside the township.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Wabash Township trustee faces first day of felony trial