Jail time for Taletha Coles, ex-township trustee, in corruption case

Judge: ‘You were in a position of trust.’ Former Fairfield Township trustee, accused of running office her way or no way, will report to jail Feb. 1 for four counts of theft, official misconduct

Taletha Coles, whose nearly four years as Fairfield Township trustee prompted state police raids and a state law designed to oust rogue township officials, will spend time in jail after pleading guilty to felony counts of theft, conflict of interest and official misconduct.

Coles was sentenced Monday morning to 180 days in the Tippecanoe County Jail and another six months with Tippecanoe County Community Corrections, followed by three years with a mix of supervised and unsupervised probation. The four-year sentence delivered by Superior Court 1 Judge Randy Williams also included $42,380 in restitution and 180 hours of community service.

Taletha Coles, center, answers questions from deputy prosecutor Natasha Corbett, as her attorney, Alex Dowers, looks on Monday during a sentencing hearing at the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. (Photo: Dave Bangert)

Williams ordered Coles to report to the county jail to start serving her sentence Feb. 1.

Coles pushed back tears as Williams listed the terms.

“I’m very sorry, your honor,” Coles said. “And I’m sorry to my constituents. I’m sorry for everything that happened. A lot happened.”