A Putnam County Sheriff’s Department employee is facing federal charges after allegedly diverting $45,000 in federal grant money to a personal bank account. George Alexander of Greencastle was charged Tuesday with two counts of federal program fraud, and filed an intention to plead guilty on the same day. Timothy Morrison, acting U.S. Attorney for Southern Indiana, says Alexander applied for two Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2005 and 2006 to establish an emergency response team for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department.
Morrison says Alexander’s fraud was discovered during a routine audit by the Putnam Sheriff’s department. The Greencastle Banner-Graphic reports that Alexander was arrested in May as he fled the county into Rockville, Indiana, when charges against him were announced. Morrison says Alexander should be scheduled for a hearing within the next ten days. Alexander faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count.
