Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
An Indiana State Police investigation of one of its own has resulted in felony perjury and official misconduct charges being filed against an 18-year veteran of the agency.
According to an ISP news release, Master Trooper Jeremy Basso faces one count of perjury and one count of official misconduct, both as Level 6 felonies.
The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Indiana State Police on allegations that Basso conveyed false information during a March sentencing hearing in the Shelby Circuit Court.
The sentencing hearing was held March 16, 2023, for a suspect who was previously found guilty of driving while intoxicated and crashing into Basso’s parked police car in a construction zone on Interstate 74 near Shelbyville on June 18, 2021, according to ISP.
WANE-TV reported at the time of the crash that the suspect was Mason Durrett, 21, of Indianapolis.
Durrett pleaded guilty at the March 16 hearing to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony, according to court records.
He was sentenced to the Indiana Department of Correction for three years, with one day executed and the balance of his sentence suspended to probation.
According to Indiana State Police, during the onset of the Basso investigation, a special prosecutor was requested by the Shelby County Prosecutor’s Office to oversee this case.
Ripley County Prosecutor Richard Hertel was selected and has been engaged with ISP investigators throughout the process.
ISP directed all media inquiries to Hertel.
Indiana Lawyer left multiple messages Friday at Hertel’s Ripley County office but was unsuccessful in its efforts to reach the prosecutor before deadline.
According to ISP, Hertel requested an arrest warrant through the Shelby County Court for one count of perjury, a Level 6 felony, and one count of official misconduct, a Level 6 felony.
Those arrest warrants were subsequently granted by a judge and were served. Basso was arrested Tuesday evening and booked into the Shelby County Jail.
He entered a not guilty plea Thursday. His lawyer, Jim Voyles, declined to comment.
Basso has been placed on administrative leave by ISP without pay.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.