Former Fairfield Township trustee faces more than 40 charges

Former Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles faces more than 40 charges including multiple counts of theft, fraud, and forgery.

A lawsuit was filed in the Tippecanoe County Superior Court on Wednesday. Coles resigned from her position in October, leaving just before a judge was set to hear a case to remove her.

Perry Schnarr is Fairfield Township’s interim trustee. He says the charges both do and do not surprise him.

“Surprised that there was that many, not surprised that she is getting indicted because all the stuff she was doing – we knew it wasn’t right,” he said.

The Tippecanoe County Democratic Party is expected to caucus in a township trustee on Nov. 12.

That caucus may lead to a short tenure for a new trustee, depending on who wins the election for that position next Tuesday.

Democrat Monica Casanova, who currently sits on the Fairfield Township Board, faces Republican April O’Brien.

Coles is the second Tippecanoe County township trustee to face an indictment in recent years. Former Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising was indicted last year on 20 counts of theft, and is appealing her guilty verdict in that trial.

The two trustees were cited as part of the impetus for a new state law that created a process for removing township trustees accused of misconduct.

An attorney for Coles did not immediately respond to WBAA’s request for comment.

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