Two former Starke County Sheriff’s Department detectives recently indicted by a Grand Jury on several charges pleaded not guilty to all indictments in a hearing in Starke Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon.
Adam Gray, 50, of Knox, and Don Ferguson, 54, of South Bend, were indicted on several charges following a lengthy investigation by the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division Lowell Post.
Indiana State Police say evidence and testimony were presented to a Grand Jury concerning missing evidence from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
Gray was indicted on four counts of official misconduct as a Level 6 Felony, two counts of theft as a Class A Misdemeanor, and dealing paraphernalia and dealing marijuana, both as Class A Misdemeanors.
Ferguson was indicted on three counts of official misconduct as a Level 6 Felony, theft of a firearm as a Level 6 Felony, theft as a Class A Misdemeanor, and false informing as a Class B Misdemeanor.
Both Gray and Ferguson are out on bond and have separately retained private attorneys.
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall presided over Tuesday’s initial hearings, but may recuse himself from any further court proceedings as the defendants previously worked for the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. However, Special Prosecutor Stan Levco and the defense attorneys had no objection to Hall being the presiding judge. Judge Hall has seven days to file the necessary paperwork, and then a special judge would be appointed.
Discovery is expected to be exchanged during a hearing on November 9 in Starke Circuit Court, with an omnibus court date of November 30, but no other court dates have been set, pending Judge Hall’s status as the presiding judge.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
