Ben Shoulders, a familiar name in Vanderburgh County’s political circles, has found himself entangled in a legal battle that has nothing to do with passing bills or engaging in civic debates. The former County Commissioner has been accused of a rather unusual offense – misusing campaign funds to splurge on high-value baseball cards, raising eyebrows and legal concerns in equal measure.
The saga began when a probable cause affidavit was lodged in the Vanderburgh Circuit Court, alleging that Shoulders had spent upwards of $41,000 on eBay using a debit card linked to his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account. What makes this situation even more intriguing is the manner in which Shoulders purportedly masked these purchases on his campaign finance reports. The incriminating evidence pointed to a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card and a $570 Satchel Paige card being camouflaged as mundane items like “signs” and “banner” on official campaign documents. It seemed like a classic case of concealing extravagance under the veil of political expenditure.
While most of the listed expenses appeared to be legitimate and in line with campaign activities, the anomalous baseball card purchases and additional transactions exceeding $500 for Pokémon cards, cleverly disguised as “signs” at a local store, served as red flags for diligent investigators determined to unearth the truth behind these questionable transactions.
The plot thickened when Shoulders himself brought the matter to the attention of the Evansville Police Department in October 2023, citing fraudulent activity on his campaign account. Claiming to have lost his debit card around April and professing ignorance about the mysterious charges between May and August, Shoulders portrayed himself as a victim of financial malfeasance. However, a thorough probe uncovered contradictory evidence, including records confirming that he was the sole authorized user of the account and that purchases continued unabated even after he reported the card missing.
A further nail in the coffin was the discovery of email confirmations detailing multiple eBay orders for coveted baseball cards, such as the 1965 and 1967 Mickey Mantle cards and a 1966 Willie Mays card, all conveniently shipped to Shoulders’ residence using his campaign account for payments. The meticulous digital trail left investigators with little room for doubt regarding the veracity of the accusations.
Adding insult to injury, financial records indicated that Shoulders had made an unsuccessful attempt to claim reimbursement exceeding $26,000 from Old National Bank’s fraud division for the allegedly counterfeit charges, a request that was summarily rebuffed. Coincidentally, just a month subsequent to this failed reimbursement endeavor, Shoulders tendered his resignation as commissioner, effusively expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the county and its constituents.
As the legal noose tightened around Shoulders, he was promptly apprehended and slapped with a litany of charges, ranging from attempted fraud to filing a false report in a bid to manipulate facts in his favor. Subsequently released on a $500 bond, Shoulders braced himself for an impending court appearance, aware of the precarious legal predicament he found himself ensnared in. The affidavit also unveiled unsettling irregularities concerning checks ostensibly marked as charitable contributions but redirected to a business account under Shoulders’ jurisdiction, further muddying the waters of this sordid affair.
In a peculiar turn of events that saw a seasoned public figure fall from grace, Ben Shoulders’ entanglement in the web of alleged financial misappropriation serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of blurring the lines between personal indulgence and professional obligations. As the legal battle unfolds and the truth gradually surfaces, the once-respected commissioner now stands at the precipice of a legal quagmire that threatens to tarnish his legacy irreparably.
