Ben Shoulders, a former Vanderburgh County Commissioner, has found himself embroiled in controversy after being accused of misappropriating campaign funds for his personal indulgence in collecting expensive baseball cards. The allegations came to light through a probable cause affidavit filed in the Vanderburgh Circuit Court, revealing that Shoulders allegedly splurged over $41,000 on eBay using a debit card linked to his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account. Shockingly, these purchases were cleverly mislabeled on his campaign finance reports to avoid suspicion.

Among the extravagant buys were a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card and a $570 Satchel Paige card, deceitfully listed as “signs” and “banners” in the campaign documents. While the majority of the reported expenses seemed legitimate, it was the peculiar entries for high-value baseball cards and additional transactions amounting to nearly $500 for Pokémon cards, disguised as “signs” from a local store, that caught the attention of investigators.

The investigation commenced when Shoulders himself approached the Evansville Police Department in October 2023, alleging fraudulent activities on his campaign account. He claimed to have lost his debit card around April and professed ignorance about the disputed charges made between May and August. However, upon closer scrutiny, conflicting evidence emerged, revealing that Shoulders was the sole authorized user of the account and that expenditures persisted even after he reported the card as lost.

Further digging into email correspondence unveiled a trail of multiple eBay orders for rare baseball cards, including coveted items like the 1965 and 1967 Mickey Mantle cards, as well as a 1966 Willie Mays card, all of which were shipped to Shoulders’ residence. Shockingly, it was unearthed that Shoulders had been utilizing his campaign account to facilitate these lavish transactions.

In a futile attempt to cover his tracks, Shoulders allegedly sought reimbursement of over $26,000 from Old National Bank’s fraud department for the purportedly fraudulent charges. However, his request was promptly turned down. Barely a month following this failed endeavor, Shoulders tendered his resignation as commissioner, articulating, “It has truly been an honor to serve our great county as a public servant.”

Subsequently, Shoulders was apprehended and slapped with charges ranging from attempted fraud to filing a false report. After posting a $500 bond, he awaited his initial court appearance. Additionally, the affidavit unearthed irregularities concerning checks marked as charitable contributions, which were funneled into a business account under Shoulders’ control, further muddying the waters of this convoluted saga.

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