ABC57 Investigates: Fall of Duty

 

STARKE COUNTY, Ind. -- Deputies from Starke County Sheriff's department arrested John Wiseman in November of 2022 for a Burglary of a firearm, which occurred in May of 2022.

Wiseman spent six months awaiting trial at the Starke County Justice Center for approximately six months until his trial in May of 2023.

He was found not guilty.

Then approximately nine minutes after the not guilty verdict, Deputy Prosecutor Matt Poulos received a phone call from deputy Robert Olejniczak.

"I received a phone call from at the time, Deputy Rob Olejniczak. He was a deputy with the Starke County Sheriff's Department. He basically said, 'hey, I hope they didn't find that guy guilty.' And I'm like, 'what guy?' He's like, 'John Wiseman.' I was like, 'right?' I was like, 'why?' And he made the statements, like, 'because I know where the handgun is,' which caught me off guard. Why didn't I know about this," Poulos explained.

"I was like, 'how do you know this?' I believe he said it was one of his snitches. I asked, like, 'who is that?' You know, who's the source? Wouldn't tell me, which drives me nuts," said Poulos.

According to Poulos, the deputy continued gloating and admitted he knew who actually committed the crime, two individuals he would not name.

Poulos further detailed, "So, then he sent me a text message. It was a photograph of the gun. I could read the serial number. Cross reference with the serial number of the missing firearm in the case, and it was the exact same serial number and make and model."

Poulos notified his boss, Starke County Prosecutor Leslie Baker.

The former deputy, Olejniczak, claimed he told his supervisors what he knew, but prosecutor Baker saw no evidence of that.

After an investigation by her office, she determined Olejniczak could no longer be trusted.

She issued what is known as a "Giglio" letter indicating that her office would no longer accept any reports, nor could he be used as a witness.

Baker reviewed other previous cases Olejniczak was involved in and tells me some cases were dismissed that couldn't be corroborated.

Olejniczak was initially transferred by the Sheriff to the jail as a result.

He later resigned from the department.

Baker says she believes overall, law enforcement in the county is trustworthy and Wiseman's case was an isolated incident.

"It definitely sent a message to, I think, the law enforcement agencies within the county, that we're not going to take lightly this type of cavalier behavior. I think I can say very comfortably that we're in a very good place in terms of accountability of our law enforcement agencies."