Former Columbus Township trustee Benjamin Jackson was sentenced to 28 years in prison for using public funds to pay for over $1 million in personal expenses.
Jackson, 57, will spend 26 out of the 28 years in prison and the remaining two years on probation, according to a Bartholomew County Prosecutor press release. He will also have to pay $1,123,334 in restitution — which is the amount Jackson used for personal expenses on Township credit cards.
In October 2024, the State Board of Accounts received an anonymous tip which led to an investigation that found eight years of improper purchases by Jackson, according to a probable cause affidavit.
He used the money on travel, school tuition, utility bills and retail purchases.
Read more: Former Township trustee pleads guilty, faces up to 64-and-a-half years in prison
During the investigation, Jackson admitted that he knew he was using public funds for personal expenses and did not have any idea how much money he took or when he started, according to the affidavit.
Jackson resigned from his position in November of 2024 after the Indiana State Police started the criminal investigation, according to the press release.
Jackson pleaded guilty in November 2025 and was initially facing up to sixty-four and a half years in prison.
