Former Fisher’s High School and club coach Ken Stopkotte has had his charges dismissed, according to the official records of the State of Indiana.
Stopkotte was charged with 8 Class D Felonies for “theft” connected to allegations that he was taking rental fees due to the Fisher’s High School Pool for his own personal gain.
According to court records, the case was dismissed in a pre-trial motion today. The case was due in court on March 27th, but the order lifts all warrants, bonds, and charges from Stopkotte. No reason for the dismissal was available in the court’s online records, but sources close to the situation tell us that the cause was false and misleading police reports filed by the school district.
Stopkotte still must serve out the remainder of his two year USA-Swimming suspension (set to be up in September of this year) and five year Indiana Swimming suspension. Those were for unrelated allegations of falsifying meet entry times, which is not a criminal matter.
Stopkotte posted the following on his facebook page after being granted the dismissal:
Friends, as many of you know the last two years of my life has been a living hell. In November of 2010, I was falsely accused by the Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation in Fishers, Indiana of eight felony counts of theft and arrested (without bail) in Franklin, Tennessee. After spending the first 45 years of my life of trying to be an honest and hardworking citi…zen and never being accused of a crime worse than a few speeding and parking tickets, I spent seven days in the Williamson County (Tennessee) jail in isolated maximum lockdown (where I was only able to come out of the cell for one hour every two days). From there, I was extradited to Fishers, Indiana in a transport wagon and spent another two days in the Hamilton, County jail awaiting a bail hearing before I was finally released. I missed Thanksgiving Day with my family, my faith was greatly tested and my life changed forever. As the case dragged out, these charges have subsequently hung over my head like a black cloud for sixteen months and the financial and emotional damages to my family and I have been devastating.
The case never went to trial and the prosecution came to the realization through the depositions and non-existent evidence that they needed to drop the case because of the school district’s false and misleading information to the Fishers Police Department. Unfortunately, the collateral damages were significant and it took 15 months out of my life.
While many of you reached out to me with encouraging emails, notes, texts & phone calls, I apologize if I didn’t always respond or stay in touch. It was a very depressing, embarrassing and humiliating period of my life and it was extremely difficult and painful for me to interact with people.
I would like to thank all my friends, former athletes, former co-workers and my family (specifically my sons, Jacob & Noah, Mom, Dad and my sisters, Jill & Chris) for all their support and never giving up on me during this horrible ordeal.
Ken
Sooo sorry for all of this. If u had not helped Amy Pottorf she would have never swam for Asheland University. We were always greatfull for that. Amy Pottorf Kauderer is married has four children. Her oldest Regan swims for the Y and is 11. She went to AA last yr and is seconds away from s zone cut in her 50 free sh e has 29. I will keep u in our prayers.