Nichole R. Gilbert’s case was settled via plea agreement
HAMILTON COUNTY — An operating while intoxicated case against a Greenfield Police Department officer who is on administrative leave due to the incident in June has been settled via a plea agreement, according to Hamilton County Court records.
Nichole R. Gilbert, 45, Fortville, was facing a Class A misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated – endangering a person — and a Class A misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more. While Class A misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, Gilbert will serve no time in jail.
As part of the plea agreement, the first charge was dropped while Gilbert admitted guilt to the second charge. According to Hamilton County Superior Court 6 records, Gilbert was given a 365-day term Thursday, with two days of jail credit while 363 days of the term were suspended. The order was officially entered into the records Friday, closing the case. An order granting petition for a specialized driving permit was also submitted.
Gilbert was off work and not driving a company car when the OWI arrest occurred June 18. She has been on administrative leave since and will remain there until an internal investigation is completed with the GPD. Officials from the department told the Daily Reporter on Friday it will take a few more weeks for their investigation and then decision on Gilbert’s status with the department to be determined.
Hamilton County arrest records show Gilbert was arrested by officials from the Fishers Police Department (FPD) during the early hours of June 18. Officials from the FPD say they arrested Gilbert for OWI after an officer who was patrolling near 96th Street and Olio Road observed a white passenger car with a missing headlight using unsafe lane movement.
“The officer initiated a traffic stop by activating his emergency lights, and the white passenger car pulled over to the side of the road,” Sgt. Thomas Weger, FPD public information officer said at the time. “During the investigation, Fishers police officers developed probable cause to believe the ‘driver’ was operating a vehicle while intoxicated.”
Gilbert is a 1996 Greenfield-Central High School graduate who has been with the GPD since 2009. She worked her way through the ranks after being hired as a field officer. She also served several years with the Cumberland Police Department. Her first job in law enforcement was at the Hancock County Jail.
