Indiana Supreme Court overturns conviction of former township trustee in Tippecanoe County

Indiana Supreme Court overturns former trustee conviction

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Supreme Court unanimously overturns the conviction of Jennifer Teising, former Wabash Township Trustee in Tippecanoe County.

A judge convicted her of 21 counts of theft, according to an opinion published late Thursday afternoon.

Prosecutors had argued she stole 21 paychecks from the county by continuing to receive paychecks even though she had moved out of the state.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Teising sold her home in Wabash Township and moved some belongings to a friend’s house elsewhere in the township, where she received mail and was registered to vote, according to prosecutors.

Teising then bought a trailer and spent nine months working remotely while traveling in and out of the state, according to the Indiana Supreme Court’s website.

The Indiana Court of Appeals overturned Teising’s conviction in December 2022, finding that the state failed to show sufficient evidence that she intended to “abandon” Wabash Township and set up a new household somewhere else.