Indiana police chief — whose dad is running for high-profile sheriff position — arrested on slew of misconduct, steroids charges
The police chief of a small town in Lake County, Indiana – where his dad is running for the high-profile position of sheriff – was arrested on a slew of misconduct charges over the weekend after feds raided his home and found a trove of guns and steroids, according to reports.
New Chicago Police Chief Earl Mayo was charged Sunday with misconduct, obstruction of justice, theft and unlawful possession of an anabolic steroid – a synthetic derivative of testosterone – following his arrest in Clark County, Ohio, around 6 p.m. Friday.
Earlier that day, county police and federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had executed search warrants at Mayo’s Merrillville, Indiana, residence – where more than 100 guns were seized, local news outlet NWI Times reported, citing sources with knowledge of the investigation.
New Chicago Police Chief Earl Mayo was charged Sunday with misconduct, obstruction of justice, theft and unlawful possession of an anabolic steroid. New Chicago PD
Mayo was taken into custody in Ohio and is expected to be extradited back to Lake County, where the criminal charges were filed. It’s unclear why he had crossed state lines ahead of his arrest.
His former police jurisdiction was taken over by state law enforcement Friday.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Department has taken responsibility over all New Chicago police services,” Sheriff Oscar Martinez reportedly said, adding that there was “no need for the citizens of New Chicago to worry” about a lack in law enforcement.
New Chicago, which covers less than one square mile west of Lake Station, is home to roughly 2,000 people.
Mayo’s father, Indiana State Police Major Jerry Williams – who recently won the Lake County Democratic primary and will be the party’s sheriff nominee in the November election – said he and his wife were “deeply concerned” about their son’s arrest in a statement released Saturday.
“We raised all of our children with love, guidance and a strong foundation of values. We’ve always held our children to higher standards, as we have ourselves,” Williams wrote.
“We are aware there are allegations that are troubling, and we struggle to reconcile them with the values we worked so hard to instill in all of our children and grandchildren,” he continued, and added that Mayo should be “presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise.
“If it is ultimately established that Earl engaged in the conduct alleged by the government, then he must and should accept responsibility for his actions and face the consequences.
“This is an extremely difficult and emotional time for our family,” Williams wrote.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office — where Mayo’s father is running for the top position — took over all policing duties in New Chicago following Mayo’s arrest. Clark County Jail
Lake County, which is home to cities including Gary and Hammond, is Indiana’s second-most populated county, with over 500,000 residents.
Mayo is not the first county leader to be embroiled in corruption allegations.
A state audit released earlier this year accused Sheriff Martinez of improperly spending nearly $300,000 from the local jail’s commissary fund on golf outings, travel and church donations, according to the Chicago Tribune.
And in 2018, former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich was convicted on federal bribery and fraud charges and sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for running a “pay-to-play scheme,” in which he accepted over $32,000 in cash and campaign donations from tow truck operators – including one FBI informant.
It wasn’t clear by the time of publication if Mayo had retained an attorney.
Martinez told the NWI Times Friday that his department’s takeover of policing duties in New Chicago centered around a “matter that remains under investigation,” but declined to provide further information.
He did not respond to messages from The Post.
