Former Martinsville police chief Matt Long accused of theft has plea hearing postponed

MARTINSVILLE — A Monroe County judge has agreed to postpone a plea hearing for Matt Long, former police chief for the city of Martinsville, after the state of Indiana requested a continuance in his criminal case.

The hearing, originally scheduled for Friday, April 1, has been moved to May 27 after Special Judge Valeri Haughton granted the prosecution's request, which was submitted Tuesday.

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Long, 42, is facing felony charges of theft and official misconduct for allegedly pocketing $6,786 in unearned overtime pay and $1,530 in overpaid sick days between January 2016 and December 2018.

The charges were filed in February 2019 following an investigation by the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA) which found that Long was "recording time when none was earned," according to the report.

While Long has maintained his innocence, his lead attorney, John Kautzman, indicated to Haughton at a pre-trial conference in February that his client was willing to reach a plea agreement in the case.

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The remaining issue, he said, is restitution, which is tied to a separate civil lawsuit the state filed against Long in February 2021.

The plea hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 27 at the Monroe County Courthouse in Bloomington.

Contact reporter Peter Blanchard at 765-346-2942 or pblanchard@reporter-times.com. Follow him on Twitter @peterlblanchard.