North Vernon man arrested after accusations of official misconduct

A North Vernon man has been arrested and fired as a Johnson County correctional officer and special deputy after accusations he had sexual relations with a jail inmate.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the sheriff received a tip last week that 28-year-old Zachariah B. Johnson was possibly engaged in a relationship with an inmate. Investigators spoke with the inmate and her attorney and after results of that discussion, Sheriff Duane Burgess asked the Morgan County sheriff to further investigate the situation to ensure transparency.

Two Morgan County detectives interviewed Johnson on Thursday afternoon and he was arrested on preliminary charges of sexual misconduct, official misconduct and trafficking with an inmate.

The case is being forwarded to Johnson County Prosecutor Joseph Villanueva for review and the filing of formal criminal charges.

Burgess said this type of action will not be tolerated by the Sheriff’s Office.