Johnson County coroner must resign after guilty plea in underage drinking case

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Johnson County Coroner Michael Pruitt must resign by Jan. 1, 2027, after pleading guilty to providing alcohol to a minor.

Pruitt pleaded guilty to seven counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. All are Class A misdemeanors.

The resignation is a condition of his plea agreement.

Pruitt will serve no jail time. The agreement shows a 365-day sentence with only two days executed. He had already served those days when arrested in October. The remaining 363 days are suspended.

Police arrested Pruitt in October on charges related to providing alcohol to a 17-year-old girl.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Pruitt must pay $13,098 in attorney fees from a related civil protective order case. He must also pay the victim’s therapy costs. That amount has not been determined.

The deal includes a no-contact order, meaning Pruitt cannot contact the victim or her family.

Pruitt must also complete a Moral Reconation Therapy program as well as a mental health evaluation.

Allegations detailed in court documents

Court documents filed in August detailed allegations against Pruitt. The documents were part of a protective order case involving a 17-year-old girl.

According to the documents, Pruitt agreed to let the teen use his pigs for county and state fair competitions. The teen cared for the pigs at her family farm.

Court records show Pruitt allegedly provided alcohol to the teen and another minor during a pig show trip to Springfield, Illinois, in June. Documents state he texted asking what “kind” she wanted. The teen responded, “Coors Light.”

The documents allege Pruitt videotaped the teen and another minor when they were intoxicated.

Court records also show Pruitt allegedly offered cannabis gummies to the teen. When she declined, saying she had “greened out” before, Pruitt reportedly sent tips on avoiding that reaction.

The documents state Pruitt had been sending the teen $50 per week through Venmo since September 2024. The payments allegedly continued even after the teen’s mother told him to stop.

Court records show Pruitt used the Life 360 app to track the teen’s location. He would show up at places where he knew she would be, according to documents.

The teen’s mother confronted Pruitt in July. She told him there could be no further contact with her daughter. In a July 20 phone conversation, court documents state Pruitt admitted he purchased alcohol for the teen.

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