A Greenwood man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a variety of fraud schemes that stole nearly $3 million from his victims.

According to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, 35 year old James Henley pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, money laundering, and wire fraud. In addition to the 10 years in prison, he was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.9 in restitution.

Henley’s fraud schemes took place over three years and involved fraud against homeowners, an attorney and 10 state governments. He operated five fake businesses in Indiana and Kentucky. Authorities say that none of the businesses were legitimate and Henley used the businesses to mask his identity and to launder stolen money. He operated as OnTrack Real Estate Solutions, LDI Investments Corp, Lucario Investments, 317 Traffic, and Henley Real Estate Solutions

Among the fraud schemes was one where he and accomplices used more than 70 stolen identities to submit unemployment claims in 10 separate states during the COVID pandemic, allowing them to gain $1.1 million in unemployment benefits through ATM cards.

Bartholomew County courts are changing their hours.

Beginning next month, the court offices will be open from 8 to 4 Monday through Friday. Currently the courts are open until 5 p.m.

According to the county judges, the change will bring the county courts more in line with courts statewide. Of Indiana’s 92 counties, only Bartholomew and Carroll counties have courts that are open until 5 p.m.

The judges said in their announcement that the change had been approved by all three judges, with the recommendation of the general counsel to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Other offices in the courthouse, the county clerk and prosecutor’s offices, will remain open from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday.

At their Monday meeting, the county commissioners said that the courts are essentially state employees that the county pays, but the other courthouse offices are fully county employees.

A Seymour company will have an ad on during the Super Bowl this weekend, thanks to a partnership with Google.

Guardian Bikes will be featured in an ad that promotes the use of Gemini, Google’s AI assistant for its Google Sheets spreadsheet software. The 30-second advertisement will focus on how Guardian makes biking safer and how Gemini helps the company manage production, assembly lines and website sales. The video itself shows scenes of bikes being constructed in the Seymour factory and explains how Guardian started from efforts to improve brakes for bicycles.

According to the company, the Google team stopped by the factory to check out how the company uses the AI assistant to collect and analyze data. They say that the data allows Guardian to assemble the safest bikes and is a vital tool in its mission to bring bike manufacturing back to the United States.

Hope, the Bartholomew County groundhog says we are in for six more weeks of winter.

The rescued groundhog from Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators made her prediction Sunday morning in the Bartholomew County town of Hope, seeing her shadow during Groundhog Day festivities there.

This was the 12th year for the festivities in the community and the fifth year for Hope to take part.

The Hope Groundhog Day celebration is organized by Main Street of Hope.

Photo courtesy of Susan Thayer-Fye

Columbus police are mourning the death of retired police dog Argo.

According to the department, Argo died on Thursday at the age of 13. He served the department for 12 years, working with his handler Officer Branch Schrader from 2012 until his retirement in April of last year. After his retirement he continued as a companion dog to Schrader.

Argo was a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix. Police say he was responsible for 482 arrests and 443 narcotics seizures. He searched 105 buildings and took part in more than 150 trackings, including helping find missing children.

Police say that he was more than just a dog, he was a trusted team member and protector.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Police Department.

Jennings County deputies arrested a wanted man after a traffic stop last week.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, a deputy was patrolling near St. Anne’s on Wednesday, when he noticed a vehicle make a traffic violation. The deputy pulled the driver over and discovered that he was 63-year-old Ronald Carpenter of Seymour who had an active Jennings County warrant.

A police dog was brought to the scene and alerted to the smell of narcotics in the vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle and uncovered a bag containing methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana and a digital scale.

Carpenter was arrested and taken to the jail, where a search found he was carrying more drugs. In addition to the original warrant for possession of methamphetamine and a syringe, he is facing new charges for possessing the drugs and paraphernalia, as well as for possessing drugs in a penal facility.

State and local officials are urging you to be on the alert for any drones flying near a site of a bird flu outbreak in Jackson County, but also say you shouldn’t take the law into your own hands.

Last week, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced an outbreak of bird flu at the Cort Acre Egg Farm in Jackson County, owned by Rose Acre Farms. As part of that outbreak, officials have set up a control area within a just over 6 mile radius around the farm, which contains parts of Jackson and Bartholomew counties.

Authorities are warning that they have seen increased drone activity at the sites of bird flu outbreaks including in Jackson County and even landed at some sites, including on contaminated barns. They say that the areas are under quarantine for health and safety reasons and that the drone landings could spread the disease.

But there have also been reports of residents firing on drones. Officials say that it is a felony to damage, destroy, disable or wreck any aircraft, including a drone. If you see a drone or a drone operator, you should contact law enforcement.