At the request of LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan, the Indiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division Lowell Post initiated an investigation into ghost employment taking place in the county. Long Beach Chief Marshal Mark Swistek contacted Prosecutor Fagan and reported irregularities in time being claimed by one of the officers that had been employed at the Long Beach Police Department.
On January 25, 2024, Prosecutor Fagan requested the Indiana State Police to investigate the allegations. During the investigation, it was determined that several irregularities had occurred in the work time being claimed by Officer Jason Yagelski. The investigation showed that Officer Yagelski had claimed hours worked at two different police departments at the same time. This happened on numerous occasions resulting in him being paid several thousand dollars for hours not actually worked at the Pottawattomie Park Police Department, the Trail Creek Police Department, and the Long Beach Police Department. Yagelski is the current Chief Marshal for the Pottawattomie Park Police Department, a former Deputy Marshal for Long Beach Police Department, and a former Deputy Marshal for the Trail Creek Police Department.
As a result of the investigation, Chief Marshal Yagelski has been charged by the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office with the following crimes:
- Ghost Employment (2 counts)- Level 6 Felony
- Official Misconduct (2 counts)- Level 6 Felony
- Fraud (1 count)- Class A Misdemeanor
Yagelski has since posted bond after being booked at the LaPorte County Jail. All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.