Brown pleads guilty to in animal shelter theft

Ron Brown

The Indianapolis man who stole thousands of dollars of Putnam County Animal Shelter funds pleaded guilty to felony theft on Thursday.

Ronald D. Brown, 47, Indianapolis, appeared in Putnam Circuit Court for a change of plea hearing, entering a guilty plea to Level 6 felony theft.

As part of the plea agreement with the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office, a second felony county of deception was dropped.

Brown faces a sentence of six months to 2-1/2 years for his guilty plea. His fate will be up to Judge Matt Headley during an 11 a.m. Feb. 22 sentencing hearing.

The main point of contention during the hearing, Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter said, will be the amount Brown stole. He is accused of pocketing $33,286.10.

However, Brown estimated in court on Wednesday that the amount he took was $18,500.

Also listed as one of the terms of the agreement, the Prosecutor's Office has agreed to offer no sentencing recommendation to the court.

Should Headley decide on the low end of the sentencing requirements, Brown could be a free man at the end of the hearing. He has been in the Putnam County Jail since he was arrested on a warrant on Sept. 4.

That 5-1/2 months of time served would translate to approximately 11 months with the state's 50-percent credit time for Level 6 felonies.

Brown's association with Putnam County began with him attempting to procure grants associated with restarting the Putnam County Animal Shelter.

However, an internal investigation by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department began last March revealed irregularities in the shelter fund.

An Indiana State Police and State Board of Accounts investigation revealed that Brown, who allegedly represented himself as a project manager, received payment written directly to him from the Putnam County Auditor's Office.

These checks were supposed to be reimbursements to Brown for payments he made to contractors.

The claim checks from Putnam County were deposited into a bank account under the name R. Brown Engineering GRP, but no corresponding checks to contractors were written.