Indiana police chief accused of pawning gun tied to criminal case: prosecutors

Indiana police chief accused of pawning gun tied to criminal case: prosecutors

A northwest Indiana police chief is accused of selling off a gun tied to an active criminal case, touching off an investigation that led to felony charges involving theft, misconduct and steroids.

NEW CHICAGO, Ind. - A northwest Indiana police chief is accused of selling off a gun tied to an active criminal case, touching off an investigation that led to felony charges involving theft, misconduct and steroids.

New Chicago police chief charged

What to know:

A Lake County, Indiana, grand jury returned a multi-count indictment against New Chicago Police Chief Earl Mayo, alleging theft, official misconduct, obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of anabolic steroids tied to the sale and attempted recovery of a department firearm, court records show.

Mayo faces eight counts stemming from incidents dated April 29, 2025, and May 22, 2026, according to filings in Lake County, Indiana Superior Court.

Prosecutors say Mayo took a Taurus G3 handgun owned by the Town of New Chicago without permission and sold it to a Lake County pawn shop on April 29, 2025, removing a gun that was connected to an active criminal case from police custody.

Court documents also alleged Mayo, while serving as a public official, committed theft in the course of his duties, constituting official misconduct.

A separate count alleges attempted obstruction of justice on Friday, after investigators say Mayo tried to recover the pawned firearm before it could be used as evidence in a criminal proceeding.

Additional charges allege Mayo possessed anabolic steroids, including Trenbolone and Equipoise, without a valid prescription.

The backstory:

Investigators say the case began when a firearm trace tied to an upcoming trial revealed discrepancies between evidence logs and pawn shop records. Detectives later determined the Taurus G3 had been sold along with other firearms at Mega Cash Pawn in Hobart on April 29, 2025.

According to investigators, a pawn shop manager confirmed Mayo personally sold multiple guns and later attempted to coordinate the gun’s return through intermediaries, including a city employee and another individual sent to retrieve the weapon.

Authorities also alleged a woman connected to Mayo attempted to destroy glass vials containing suspected steroids when confronted by investigators at his residence in Merrillville.

Detectives further allege Mayo made statements suggesting he kept items at his home that "the feds would never find," including firearm suppressors.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police assisted in the investigation.

What they're saying:

Mayo is the son of Indiana State Police Major Jerry Williams, who issued the following statement on Sunday:

"My wife and I and our family are deeply concerned over recent information regarding our son, Earl Mayo, chief of the New Chicago Police Department. We raised all of our children with love, guidance and a strong foundation of values. We’ve always held our children to higher standards, as we have ourselves.

"We have very little information about this incident at this time. We are aware there are allegations that are troubling, and we struggle to reconcile them with the values we worked so hard to instill in all of our children and grandchildren. 

"Under our criminal justice system, Earl is presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise. We respect that fundamental principle, and it is important that the legal process be allowed to proceed fairly and impartially.

"If it is ultimately established that Earl engaged in the conduct alleged by the government, then he must and should accept responsibility for his actions and face the consequences.

"This is an extremely difficult and emotional time for our family. Given the seriousness of this matter and the ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment any further on the undisclosed details of this situation."