JOHNSON COUNTY — Johnson County Coroner Michael Dean Pruitt is facing allegations that he provided alcohol and offered cannabis gummies to a teenage girl, according to court documents filed in Johnson Superior Court.
The documents, filed as part of a protective order case on Aug. 20, detail a series of incidents between Pruitt and a 17-year-old girl.
According to the court records, Pruitt took the teenager and another minor to a pig show in Springfield, Illinois in June. Court documents state Pruitt sent a text asking what "kind" she wanted, to which the teen responded "coors light."
"Later that day, he sent [the teen] another text: 'Put some of your Coors Light beers in your plastic laundry bag in your closet,'" the documents state. "Later, during this time frame, he videotaped [the teen] and the minor girl when they were intoxicated."
The documents also show Pruitt allegedly offered cannabis gummies to the teen. When she declined, saying she had "greened out" with them before, Pruitt reportedly sent "tips on how to avoid greening out when consuming cannabis gummies" followed by a text: "You gotta get back on the horse sometime."
On other occasions, court records show Pruitt sent texts saying "There's beer in the pool house if you need road beers" and "I left you a couple beers in the cooler."
The documents reveal Pruitt had been sending the teen $50 per week through Venmo since September 2024. When the teen's mother discovered this and told him to stop, the payments continued.
According to the court filings, the teen repeatedly told Pruitt she felt "smothered" and wanted space. The documents state Pruitt used the Life 360 app to track the teen's location and would show up at places where he knew she would be.
The teen's mother eventually confronted Pruitt in July, telling him there could be no further contact with her daughter. In a phone conversation on July 20, court documents state "Respondent admitted that he purchased alcohol for [the teen]."
Despite being told to stay away, the documents allege Pruitt continued attempting contact, including following the family to a photography session at the Indiana State Fair and calling the teen using a different phone number in August.
The teen's mother wrote in an Aug. 11 email to Pruitt: "Over the past several months, there have been repeated incidents and behaviors that are completely inappropriate for a 60-year-old man toward a 17-year-old girl."
Pruitt serves as Johnson County Coroner and was previously with the Bargersville Fire Department, though the documents indicate he was placed on leave from the fire department by June 3.
According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, the case was handed over to the Indiana State Police for investigation.
On September 2, 2024, after receiving a sworn statement connected to the matter, the Sheriff’s Office immediately recognized a conflict of interest. To ensure transparency and maintain public confidence, the case was referred to the Indiana State Police for investigation. Our office will take no further role in this matter.
The Johnson County Prosecutor's Office told WRTV they have no comment pending the results of the ISP investigation.
