In Memoriam, Jack Sandlin, CFE

Jack Sandlin, Indiana state senator and founder of the ACFE Central Indiana Chapter, passed away on Sept. 20, 2023. He’s remembered by loved ones for his integrity and commitment to public service.

Sandlin was born in Indianapolis in November 1950 to Lewis and Betty Sandlin. After graduating from high school, he joined the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD). He then served in the U.S. Army before returning to the IPD as an officer in 1973 and enlisting in the Indiana National Guard. Sandlin eventually rose to the rank of deputy chief of investigations and investigator for the Marion County Grand Jury. He also served the Southport Police Department until 2009. During his years-long career in law enforcement, Sandlin was a sniper with the SWAT Team, served as an undercover investigator and worked with the U.S. Marshals Service.

A dedicated public servant, Sandlin was the Perry Township Trustee from 1997 to 2006. In 2010, he served on the Indianapolis City-County Council until 2016, when he was elected a state senator representing District 36 in Marion County and northern Johnson County. Elected to serve two terms, the Republican senator advocated for veterans, law enforcement officials and mental illness issues, and received strong bipartisan support.

Sandlin was a founding member of the ACFE Central Indiana Chapter and later served as president. As a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), he specialized in insurance, arson and white-collar crime. He started a private investigator business in 1995 that provided fraud examinations and security consulting. Sandlin received the Distinguished Hoosier Award in 1993 and the Certified Fraud Examiners Distinguished Achievement Award in 1998, as well as the Founders Award from the Central Indiana Chapter of the ACFE.

“I knew and worked with Jack Sandlin for about 25 years,” says Greg Wright, CFE, a national speaker and four times reelected president of the ACFE Central Indiana Chapter. “He was exemplary, active in church, and loyal to his family and friends.”

Wright worked as Sandlin’s business insurance agent for many years. It was Sandlin who encouraged him to study and take the exam to become a CFE.

“I took Jack’s advice and subsequently worked for him as an investigator in his licensed private investigation firm, J.S. Consulting,” says Wright.

Two years later, Sandlin asked Wright to replace him as ACFE Central Indiana Chapter president, where Wright served for a decade until retiring last year.

Outside of work, Sandlin devoted many hours to volunteering for professional, civic and Christian organizations. He was an active member at Southport Presbyterian Church and later at Hanover Baptist Church and devoted to his family. 

He was exemplary, active in church, and loyal to his family and friends.