Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann’s office was appointed as a special prosecutor Wednesday in ex-New Chicago Police Chief Earl Mayo’s gun theft case, filings show.
Mayo, 45, of Merrillville, has been charged with selling a gun confiscated from town police investigations to a Hobart pawn shop. He is charged with two counts of felony theft, two counts of official misconduct, one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of unlawful possession of anabolic steroid and one misdemeanor theft count.
He was fired Monday.
In a Thursday statement, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said he has full confidence in county investigators, but it was determined that the Indiana State Police and federal law enforcement partners will assume full lead investigative responsibility.
“We are currently working to transition the investigation to Indiana State Police and federal law enforcement,” Martinez said.
Mayo’s stepfather is Indiana State Police Major Jerry Williams, a 30-plus year veteran. Williams, who temporarily led the Gary Police Department in 2023, is the Democratic nominee for Lake County Sheriff.
Germann said Thursday that Indiana State Police would probably take over the investigation, while working to minimize potential conflicts of interest. The agency typically investigates police-linked alleged crimes, such as the nearly $30,000 in missing money that was seized during a Winfield Police raid on a massage parlor in 2023.
A representative from ISP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Germann said he didn’t know if Mayo could face additional charges after he was found with a large number of guns from police investigations stored in a safe at his home.
He said it was unlikely his office would request to move the court case out of Lake County.
“It’s a situation where people in the court system would be familiar with him or his relatives,” he said. “A lot of jurors are not going to know anything about this case.”
His office would handle it “openly” and “fairly,” he said.
Mayo “will be pleading not guilty,” his defense lawyer Jesse Harper said Thursday. “This allegation has affected his life greatly.”
As part of the defense lawyer’s investigation, he would get board minutes, emails and conduct depositions to see if anyone from the town of New Chicago “instructed” Mayo to store the guns in safes at his home.
His client was known as an “avid gun collector,” Harper said. “We have to find out what he was told to do.”
There was “no specific sign” Mayo could face a potential federal indictment, Harper said.
Harper filed to cancel Mayo’s initial hearing Friday, a procedural move. His next hearing is June 9 before Judge Samuel Cappas.
Previously, Town Attorney Lloyd Mullen told reporters after Monday’s meeting that Mayo kept confiscated weapons in his home safe because the town’s operations are being temporarily housed in River Forest Elementary School and guns aren’t allowed in schools.
New Chicago town officials said Tuesday morning they agreed to allow Mayo to store guns in his home safe if he gained permission from the Lake County Prosecutor’s office.
Mayo allegedly contacted the prosecutor’s office Oct. 23, 2024, seeking permission. Town Manager Sue Pelfrey said she also asked the prosecutor’s office for guidance on the proper procedures to store the guns.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, however, strongly denied giving permission to Mayo to store guns from investigations in his home safe.
“I can say emphatically that no one — not me or the chief deputy — gave him permission to store guns in the fashion they were stored in his home,” Carter said in a Tuesday interview.
“He messed with the chain of custody taking guns to his private residence. No way would I have given permission. It’s an absolute lie. There are all kinds of alternatives. Hobart has a fine site,” Carter said.
“This is stupid people making stupid decisions. To say we gave permission is absolutely wrong. There’s nothing in writing or any utterance from me for him to do such a horrible thing.”
Mayo’s co-defendant, 47-year-old Taneka Roshawn Borders, also of Merrillville, is charged with assisting Mayo and possession of anabolic steroids.
Carole Carlson contributed.
