Hancock County sheriff’s deputy James Heneghan was arrested after investigators accused him of misusing Flock cameras to conduct more than 6,190 searches.
HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. (WKRC) - An Indiana sheriff's deputy is facing hundreds of felony charges for alleged Flock camera misuse.
A Hancock County sheriff’s deputy is accused of using license plate-reading cameras thousands of times to track family members, his wife, former girlfriends and others, according to WXIN.
WXIN reported that James Heneghan, 33, was arrested Thursday on a warrant accusing him of 441 felony counts of intimidation, official misconduct and fraud. He is being held in the Hancock County Jail.
The Indiana State Police investigation began in April after a family member provided authorities with messages allegedly sent by Heneghan, the outlet reported. In one message, investigators said Heneghan called the person a “b***h” and wrote that the person’s children would “suffer.”
The family member also told police that Heneghan had used law enforcement technology to stalk people and confront them in public, according to the station. He was placed on leave by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office after the allegations surfaced.
The report states that investigators later determined Heneghan allegedly misused automatic license plate readers, commonly called Flock cameras. The cameras use technology to record and track vehicles traveling on public roads.
Court documents reviewed by WXIN allege Heneghan conducted more than 6,190 searches through the system between December 2024 and March 2026. Detectives said only 40 of those searches were made while Heneghan was on duty.
Authorities allege the searches included the following, per the report:
- More than 1,100 searches involving his wife’s vehicle
- More than 1,100 searches involving a man who was familiar with his wife
- More than 200 searches involving a former high school girlfriend
- Searches involving the husband of one of his former girlfriends
Heneghan is also accused of using the system to search a former girlfriend’s license plate information before pulling over her child, the outlet reported.
Investigators said Heneghan allegedly entered reasons including “police investigation” and “OWI arrest” when making searches. Court documents state none of the alleged victims had significant criminal histories in Hancock County.
The station reported that detectives submitted a probable cause affidavit after working with the local prosecutor’s office. An initial hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, per the report.
