EVANSVILLE – Ben Shoulders, a former Vanderburgh County Commissioner, was arrested and charged with felony fraud after more than a year-long investigation, Evansville police said Wednesday.
Shoulders, 45, reportedly faces a charge of attempted fraud on a financial institution, two counts of filing a fraudulent election report, and other misdemeanor charges. He was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail on $500 bond just after 3:40 p.m., records show.
EPD spokeswoman Sgt. Trudy Day announced the arrest via a news release Wednesday afternoon. It states an investigation into Shoulders, who served as a Democrat, began in October 2023, when he himself contacted police to report fraudulent eBay purchases on his “Shoulders for Commissioner” campaign bank account.
After reportedly gathering bank statements, campaign donation and cell phone records, investigators reportedly found “numerous discrepancies including money documented as donated to local non-profits, but detectives found that the donations never occurred.”
Sports memorabilia purchases Shoulders claimed he didn’t make were reportedly shipped to his address, police said. And funds from checks that were cashed through the account allegedly ended up in another account owned by Shoulders.
Shoulders resigned from his position on the Vanderburgh County Commission at the start of this year, selecting not to complete his second term and not seek a third. His seat was up for reelection this week and was won by Democrat Mike Goebel who was caucused in to the seat after Shoulders’ resignation.
Shoulders listed his reason for resigning as a new position in the private sector. In February, it was announced he had joined American Structurepoint. He previously worked in commercial banking at Banterra Bank.
“I sincerely want to thank my supporters, colleagues, friends, family members and fellow taxpayers who have been with me since we launched our first campaign in December of 2015,” Shoulders stated. “It has truly been an honor to serve our great county as a public servant.”
Shoulders’ career as a commissioner was mostly a smooth road, but about a year into his second term he was ensnared in public controversy after school board member and local business owner Amy Word accused him of deceit amid an affair.
Otherwise, Shoulders has held a consistent image and space in the community, with deep familial ties to both politics and the city itself.
At the time he resigned, Shoulders said his time serving as a commissioner was something he would never forget.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
