A Harrison County Indiana Sheriff’s deputy is facing felony charges for allegedly posing as a New Albany police officer in an email that claimed officer misconduct, according to WDRB.
The email, which had a New Albany police officer listed as the sender, allegedly claimed that they had reported allegations of misconduct in their department, but the issues were being ignored.
Indiana police began investigating the allegations about the department and contacted the New Albany police officer listed as the sender, who told them he “had no knowledge of such communication being sent.”
That opened an investigation into identity deception, which lead to the arrest of 37-year-old officer Ralph Weaver.
Weaver is currently a sheriff’s deputy with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. He previously worked for the New Albany Police Department.
According to court documents, not long after the email was sent, Weaver called an officer with Indiana State Police and asked him if he had heard about the email.
When an officer told Weaver he was under investigation for identity deception and impersonating a police officer, he allegedly asked “if there could be a crime of impersonating a police officer if a police officer was the one who sent the email,” according to court papers.
Weaver is charged with identity deception and obstruction of justice.