An Indiana sheriff’s officer faces hundreds of felony counts stemming from alleged Flock camera misuse.
According to WXIN, a Hancock County sheriff’s officer has been accused of utilizing license plate readers thousands of times to locate down family members, his wife, old girlfriends, and others.
According to WXIN, James Heneghan, 33, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with 441 counts of criminal intimidation, governmental misconduct, and fraud. He is being held at the Hancock County Jail.
The Indiana State Police investigation began in April, when a family member contacted investigators with communications purportedly received by Heneghan, according to the site. In one message, investigators said Heneghan called the person a “b***h” and said the person’s children would “suffer.”
According to the station, a family member told authorities that Heneghan had utilized law enforcement equipment to monitor people and confront them in public. He was placed on leave by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office when the claims were made.
According to the article, police eventually discovered that Heneghan had allegedly abused automatic license plate scanners, also known as Flock cameras. The cameras use technology to capture and track automobiles that go on public highways.
According to court documents acquired by WXIN, Heneghan searched the system more than 6,190 times between December 2024 and March 2026. Detectives say only 40 of those searches were conducted while Heneghan was on duty.
Authorities allege the searches included the following, according to the report:
- More than 1,100 searches involving his wife’s vehicle
- More than 1,100 searches involving a man who was familiar with his wife
- More than 200 searches involving a former high school girlfriend
- Searches involving the husband of one of his former girlfriends
Heneghan is also suspected of using the system to look up a former girlfriend’s license plate before pulling over her child, according to the source.
Investigators said Heneghan entered reasons such as “police investigation” and “OWI arrest” when conducting searches. According to court filings, none of the accused victims had a major criminal history in Hancock County.
According to the station, investigators presented a probable cause document after consulting with the local prosecutor’s office. According to the article, an initial hearing has been planned for 8:30 a.m. on Friday.
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