Former Vanderburgh Co. Commission President charged with fraud

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The former President of the Vanderburgh County Commission is facing several fraud charges.

Evansville Police say in October 2023, 45-year-old Ben Shoulders reported he had discovered several fraudulent eBay purchases on his bank statement.

They say Shoulders was also seeking reimbursement for the fraudulent charges from the bank.

Police say the reported fraud happened to Shoulder’s campaign account that is listed as “Shoulders For Commissioner.”

Officers say a lengthy, in-depth investigation then began.

They say a review of the “Shoulders For Commissioner” bank account showed several discrepancies, including money documented as donated to local non-profits, but detectives found that the donations never happened.

Police say sports memorabilia purchased with the campaign account, and reportedly not made by Shoulders, were found to be documented by eBay as being shipped to Shoulder’s address.

They say checks were also found to have been moved from the campaign account into a separate account opened by Shoulders.

Detectives say an investigation has shown that approximately $55,000 in funds from the “Shoulders For Commissioner” account was misused by Shoulders.

Shoulders has been arrested and charged with attempted fraud on a financial institution, two counts of filing a fraudulent election report, and several other misdemeanor crimes.

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