BRAZIL — A former Carmel police officer accused of making a fake Facebook page to post derogatory comments about a candidate for Clay County Sheriff and a special prosecutor have reached an agreement that could lead to the case being dismissed under certain stipulations.
The pretrial diversion agreement, filed Monday, means that the charges against Andrew Longyear will be dropped as long as he adheres to the terms of the agreement during a six-month period. If he fails to comply, the prosecution will resume.
An initial hearing scheduled for Tuesday at Clay Circuit Court was canceled after the two parties reached the agreement.
According to the agreement, Longyear will have to delete any fake Facebook profiles he created, including ones under three different names. He'll also have to notify the prosecutor's office of any changes to his address.
"Upon the completion of this program, the Prosecutor will dismiss the charges filed against the Defendant. If the Defendant fails to comply with all the above terms and conditions during a six (6) month period, prosecution will resume against the Defendant," the agreement states.
A copy of the full document is here:
Longyear was charged with identity deception, conversion and harassment by electronic communication after an investigation found he used photos of a Georgia man to post in the Brazil Indiana Chatter Facebook group about Josh Clarke, who is running for Clay County sheriff, and Emily Clarke, his wife, who is the current Clay County prosecutor.
He is barred from having any contact with Emily or Josh Clarke or the person whose photos and name he was using on Facebook, according to the terms of the agreement.
Longyear is charged in Clay County Court but the charges were filed by Ann Smith Mischler, a special prosecutor from Sullivan County.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Longyear told detectives he made the profile to remain anonymous and made the posts to share information he didn't think people knew about candidates.
The person whose photos and name Longyear was using told a state police detective they spoke with Josh and Emily Clarke and said they "seem like hard-working, honest and professional people," according to the affidavit. They also said he was upset someone would use their pictures and name to "diminish all their accomplishments."
Longyear resigned after the allegations came to light. It came after Carmel's police chief resigned and a deputy chief said he would retire after the chief recommended his termination.
WRTV Digital Content Producer Andrew Smith contributed to this report.
-
Heatwave holds on with another day in the 90s
Another day with high heat and humidity across parts of Indiana. Our pattern begins to shift a little and brings us more rain chances for the end of the week into the holiday weekend.
Indianapolis EMS director sees surge in calls during heat wave
Due to the extreme heat, Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services has seen a spike in heat-related calls. People are encouraged to check on their neighbors and loved ones.
Indiana auto systems maker to shut down Terre Haute plant, cut 207 jobs
Auto system maker ThyssenKrupp Presta North America is closing its Terre Haute manufacturing facility, permanently eliminating 207 jobs over the next nine months.
Tips to keep your pets’ tail wagging during the Indiana heatwave
If it’s hot and uncomfortable for us, it is for them, too. Keeping your pets cool and safe amid the Indiana heatwave is just as important as keeping ourselves cool.
