Ben Shoulders, a former Vanderburgh County Commissioner, is currently under scrutiny for allegedly misusing campaign funds to acquire high-value baseball collectibles. An investigation revealed that Shoulders had reportedly spent more than $41,000 on eBay using a debit card linked to his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account. These purchases, including a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card and a $570 Satchel Paige card, were allegedly mislabeled on campaign finance reports as “signs” and “banner.”
Though the majority of Shoulders’ reported expenditures seemed valid, the baseball card entries and other transactions, such as nearly $500 worth of Pokémon cards recorded as “signs” at a local store, raised suspicions among investigators. The case developed even further when Shoulders contacted the Evansville Police Department himself in October 2023, claiming fraudulent activities on his campaign account.
Initially alleging that his debit card was lost in April and denying knowledge of the disputed charges from May to August, evidence suggested oppositional claims. Records indicated Shoulders as the sole authorized user of the account, and purchases continued post his report of the lost card. Email documentation displayed confirmations of multiple eBay orders for rare baseball cards, including items like 1965 and 1967 Mickey Mantle cards and a 1966 Willie Mays card, all of which were delivered to Shoulders’ residence. The funds for these transactions were believed to have been sourced from his campaign account.
Moreover, it was revealed that Shoulders sought over $26,000 in reimbursement from Old National Bank’s fraud department for the alleged fraudulent charges. However, this request was rejected. Shortly after this disallowed claim, Shoulders resigned from his commissioner position, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve the county.
Following these events, Shoulders was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including attempted fraud and filing a false report. He was released on a $500 bond while awaiting his initial court appearance. The investigation also unearthed irregularities concerning checks designated as charitable donations, which were reportedly deposited into a business account controlled by Shoulders.
