STARKE COUNTY, Ind. -- In January 2020, the Indiana State Police Investigations Division at the Lowell Post was asked to investigate the misappropriation of evidence at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, focusing on missing drugs and cash from the evidence room.

By September 2022, a grand jury was convened, and Don Ferguson was indicted on multiple charges:

• Official Misconduct (Level 6 Felony, 4 counts)
• Theft of a Firearm (Level 6 Felony)
•  Theft (Class A Misdemeanor)
• False Reporting (Class B Misdemeanor)
•  Conversion (Class A Misdemeanor)

Over the next three years, the case proceeded through the court system. In August 2025, a jury trial began, resulting in not guilty verdicts on 4 of the 8 charges. The jury found Ferguson not guilty of two Official Misconduct charges, Theft of a Firearm, and the misdemeanor Theft. The remaining 4 charges resulted in a hung jury.

On September 23, 2025, Ferguson pleaded guilty to Filing a False Police Report (Class B Misdemeanor), and the other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced to 60 days in the Starke County Jail, to start immediately, followed by 4 months of probation.

A special judge, Judge Crystal Kocher (Pulaski County), and a special prosecutor, Stanley Levco (Evansville), were assigned to handle the case.