Former Decatur Trustee Arrested for $29K Theft, Misconduct

Christian Rust, the former Washington Township Trustee in Decatur County, Indiana, was arrested and charged with one count of theft and three counts of official misconduct after investigations revealed he paid himself over $29,000 in unsupported health benefits on his last day in office in 2022. The Indiana State Police began investigating in October 2023 following a fraud report by current trustee Beverly Rivera, uncovering that Rust also deleted files from township computers and instructed the destruction of data backups. A special investigation by the Indiana State Board of Accounts found Rust and former township clerk Charity Wilder noncompliant with state laws, ordering Rust to repay approximately $89,300 related to unsupported reimbursements and other expenses, while Wilder was ordered to repay about $1,100 but has not been charged. The case was handed to a special prosecutor to avoid conflicts of interest, and Rust turned himself in upon issuance of an arrest warrant. Rust faces multiple Level 6 felony charges and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Wilder has not been criminally charged in connection with the case.