Ex-deputy arrested, feds say he stole ammuntion
MUNCIE — A now-retired Delaware County deputy was arrested by federal agents Thursday after being charged with stealing ammunition from the sheriff's department.
Arlan Johnson – who retired from the sheriff’s department last fall after an internal investigation – was transported from Muncie to Indianapolis, where he appeared at an initial hearing in U.S. District Court.
“I can confirm that FBI special agents out of the Indianapolis office arrested the subject without incident,” Wendy Osborne, special agent of the Indianapolis office of the FBI, told The Star Press.
Tim Horty, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Indianapolis, said the retired deputy was released at the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing.
The formal charge against Johnson is “theft of programs receiving federal funds.”
Johnson is accused of stealing $8,000 worth of county-owned ammunition between 2012 and last August, Horty said.
A U.S. District Court website reflected the charge was filed against Johnson on Tuesday, resulting in the arrest warrant served Thursday.
“I did the right thing and turned it over to the FBI,” Delaware County Sheriff Ray Dudley said Thursday afternoon. “I have full confidence it will be handled in the right way.”
The Star Press reported in August that Johnson, a 29-year county police veteran who was best known as a former Delaware County jail commander and accident reconstruction specialist, was on administrative leave pending the results of an internal county police investigation and probe by federal authorities.
Dudley said later that Johnson had filed for retirement and that he would qualify for his pension pending resolution of the federal investigation.
At the time, Dudley– who took office in early June, in the wake of the May 15 death of Sheriff Mike Scroggins – could not confirm the nature of the investigation.
Contact Douglas Walker at 765-213-5851 and dwalker@muncie.gannett.com. Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com.