September 3, 2025
ELKHART COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTS CLERK CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON AND CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK CAROL SMITH FOR OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND CRIMINAL CONVERSION
The Grand Jury of Elkhart County was convened on September 2, 2025, by the Elkhart County Circuit Court at the request of Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Elaine Becker. The Grand Jury heard evidence regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding allegations that Elkhart County Clerk Christopher Anderson, and one of his Chief Deputy Clerks Carol Smith, approved the expenditure of public funds without proper authorization. In September 2024, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana State Board of Accounts were notified of several concerns with certain clerk employees receiving payment for hours that they did not actually work, and that the practice had been going on for several years. In June of 2025, the SBOA issued public report 25840C summarizing non-compliance with Elkhart County Policy as well as Indiana law by Anderson and Smith and documenting that Anderson was aware of the long-standing practice of paying supervisors for 80 hours even though they only had to work 72. Further illustrating the endorsement of this practice, Smith had sent an email to a newly appointed Supervisor of the Clerk’s Office in August of 2022 advising that “You get paid for 80 hours even though you only work 72. The idea is the Supervisor is usually first in and last out, so it’s just a bit of extra for the Supervisor taking on the job.” The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office conducted a criminal investigation into the same allegation to determine if the alleged conduct violated the criminal laws of the State of Indiana.
A Grand Jury may be requested under Indiana law by a Prosecuting Attorney to hear evidence of an allegation of criminal conduct. The Grand Jury becomes the exclusive judge of the facts in any matter it is empaneled to consider. The Court and the Prosecuting Attorney act as legal advisors to the Grand Jury, but may not participate in any deliberations of the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury consists of members of the Elkhart County community for the purpose of determining whether a criminal offense appears to have been committed within its jurisdiction. If, after deliberation, the Grand Jury returns an Indictment, the Prosecuting Attorney thereafter files the formal charging paperwork to initiate proceedings against the Targets. If a Grand Jury determines that no criminal offense has occurred within its jurisdiction, a “no bill” is returned and the case is closed unless newly discovered evidence later comes to light.
As the Grand Jury issued an Indictment for the offenses of Official Misconduct, a Level 6 felony, and Criminal Conversion, a Class A misdemeanor, against both Clerk Christopher Anderson, and his Chief Deputy Clerk, Carol Smith, Prosecuting Attorney Becker formally approved the Indictment and filed same with the Elkhart Circuit Court the evening of September 2, 2025. Both Anderson and Smith were ordered to turn themselves in to the Elkhart County Sheriff, where they will be held until posting a bond pursuant to Indiana law. An Initial Hearing has been scheduled for September 11, 2025, at the Elkhart Circuit Court in the historic Elkhart County Courthouse, 101 North Main Street, Goshen, Indiana, to commence at 8:30 am.
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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent
until proven guilty in a court of law.”