NEWS

Ex-DCS official to plead guilty

Douglas Walker
dwalker@muncie.gannett.com
  • Michael Fleming has agreed to plead guilty to lying to a grand jury investigating Darrell Hughes.
  • Fleming was director of the New Castle Child Protective Services office, and a school board member.
  • Hughes, a behavioral specialist, is accused of sexually exploiting teens he met at school.
  • Federal prosecutors will recommend Fleming be sentenced to 10-16 months in prison.

NEW CASTLE – The ex-director of the New Castle office of the Indiana Department of Child Services has agreed to plead guilty to a charge that could send him to federal prison.

Michael Fleming, 58 — also a former member of the New Castle Community School Board — was arrested in March on allegations he made false statements to federal agents and a U.S. District Court grand jury investigating Darrell Hughes, a behavioral specialist at a New Castle alternative school.

In July, Fleming and Hughes — a 55-year-old Muncie resident accused of sexually exploiting boys he met through his job — were indicted by the same grand jury.

In a plea agreement submitted last week to U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, Fleming agreed to plead guilty to lying to the grand jury, an offense that carries up to five years in prison.

Federal prosecutors will recommend a prison term of 10-16 months, the document reflects.

Authorities said Fleming had learned from a DCS colleague there were allegations Hughes had engaged in sexual misconduct with a boy, and also witnessed Hughes “giving back rubs to a person he believed was not an adult.”

When questioned by federal investigators on Feb. 4, however, and testifying before the grand jury two weeks later, Fleming maintained he was unaware of any allegations lodged against Hughes.

“Instead of acting to protect the young boys in his community, it is alleged the director of DCS chose to lie to investigators and lie to a grand jury, concealing additional victims and impeding the investigation,” then-U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett said in April.

Magnus-Stinson on Friday canceled Fleming’s trial, which had been set for Oct. 20. A sentencing hearing for the New Castle man has not been scheduled.

Hughes faces up to 90 years in prison if convicted of three counts of sexual exploitation of minor boys.

His trial had been set for Sept. 15, but it was rescheduled for Dec. 15 after the Muncie man’s defense attorney asked for more time “to review discovery and explore the possibility of a plea agreement.”

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.