MUNCIE — A former Muncie Police Department sergeant is asking for his own trial.
Sgt. Joseph Krejsa is accused of knowingly falsifying two reports in relation to Muncie Officer Chase Winkle’s use of force.
The jury trial for Krejsa, as well as officers Chase Winkle and Corey Posey, is scheduled to start on Jan. 9, 2023.
Attorneys for Sgt. Joseph Krejsa filed a motion on October 24 asking a federal judge for a separate trial, pointing out Krejsa is charged in just two of the seventeen counts against four defendants in a superseding indictment that spans six separate incidents.
Former Muncie Police Department Officer Jeremy Gibson already pleaded guilty in May 2022 to two felony charges connected with excessive force and covering it up.
Officer Posey has also requested a separate trial, but a judge has not yet ruled on the motion, court records show.
Krejsa’s attorneys argue he would “suffer unique prejudice” if he were tried alongside Winkle, his former subordinate.
“The evidence will show that Mr. Krejsa was critical in reporting the conduct of Mr. Winkle in one of the other incidents charged in the superseding indictment,” read the motion.
Krejsa’s attorneys also say if Krejsa is tried with Officer Winkle it would “prevent the jury from making a reliable judgment about guilt or innocent as to Mr. Krejsa.”
Winkle is charged with five counts of deprivation of rights associated with excessive force and six counts of writing false reports. He allegedly wrote false reports about his use of force against five people he arrested, along with two others arrested by Muncie police officers.
Krejsa retired from the department in July 2021. According to a federal indictment, he is charged with two counts of writing false reports about two alleged excessive force incidents.
The trial for the three remaining officers has already been continued five times for several reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic, a superseding indictment and the need to review discovery.
Officer Jeremy Gibson pled guilty in May to two charges including depriving arrestees of their rights and obstruction of justice for falsifying a report about use of force.
He faces up to 30 years in prison and will be sentenced at a later date.
He had nothing to say when WRTV Investigates asked him if he had anything to say to the community or whether he planned to apologize.
As part of the plea, Gibson agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors and testify against other police officers in the case who are accused of excessive force or attempting to cover it up: Winkle, Posey and Krejsa.
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Gibson resigned from the Muncie Police Department on March 10, 2022.
He had previously been on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the federal criminal cases and charges of conduct violations before the Muncie Police Merit Commission.
Winkle and Posey are still employed by the Muncie Police Department, and Posey is still receiving a salary, WRTV Investigates has learned.
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Posey has been with the department since 2018 and his salary is $56,386 or $27.11 per hour, records show.
According to a federal indictment, Posey is charged with one count of False Report, a felony.
