Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has secured a suspension of the medical license of an Indianapolis doctor charged with 114 counts of violating laws regulating his medical practice and controlled substance prescribing.

“Hoosier patients have the right to expect their doctors to put their safety and well-being at the top of the priority list,” Attorney General Rokita said. “When a physician performing surgery demonstrates reckless disregard for basic standards of care, he or she must be held accountable.”

On Oct. 24, the Medical Licensing Board suspended Dr. Scott Mimms’ license for a minimum of two years. Attorney General Rokita’s office filed an administrative complaint against Dr. Mimms with the board on April 24, 2024.

The Indiana Medical Licensing Board found that Dr. Mimms failed to exercise reasonable care and diligence; unlawfully prescribed Schedule II controlled substances for weight loss; and administered anesthesia in a facility without the proper accreditation to do so and without any additional providers trained in anesthesia present at the time of the surgeries.

Attorney General Rokita’s office investigates complaints against licensed professionals and entities across the state. They received the first consumer complaint against Dr. Mimms in August of 2022 — and 34 additional complaints thereafter. 

Hoosiers can file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s office here.

Attorney General Rokita expressed gratitude for the diligent work on this matter by Investigators Delaney Walter and Cassie McDaniel and Deputy Attorneys General Carah Rochester and Amy Osborne.  

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has ensured an Evansville addiction counselor who illegally dealt drugs to his patients will no longer be licensed in Indiana to provide counseling. 

Following an administrative complaint by Attorney General Rokita’s office, the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board voted to revoke professional licensing held by Michael Hagedorn. 

“Here we have a licensee who used his vulnerable patients for his own financial gain by feeding rather than treating their drug habits,” Attorney General Rokita said. “There is no world in which such a person deserves to work in the mental health and addiction field and thankfully they never will be able to again. We will continue standing up for vulnerable Hoosiers.”  

Hagedorn is serving 16 years through the Indiana Department of Correction following convictions for dealing in methamphetamine and dealing in a narcotic drug. His sentence also involves a six-year enhancement for being a habitual criminal. 

“Beyond the debt he is paying to society through the criminal justice system, this individual must also be kept far away from credentials that would enable him again to abuse patients from a position of trust,” Attorney General Rokita said. 

Amid ongoing concerns from community members and elected officials, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has issued civil investigative demands (CID) to the Seymour and South Bend police departments seeking information on whether their immigration policies comply with state law. 

“We are working to ensure units of local government are following the law,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We are putting Hoosiers first – not illegal aliens. 

In the CID, Attorney General Rokita states his office is asking for information regarding both police departments’ immigration-related communications, cooperation and enforcement policies.  

Indiana law limits the attorney general to investigating and enforcing local government entities that have policies that restrict or limit communication or cooperation with federal immigration authorities or the enforcement of federal immigration law. 

Attorney General Rokita has instructed Seymour and South Bend police to produce all documents responsive to his inquiry by November 8, 2024.  

“A failure to comply with the CID may result in legal action,” Attorney General Rokita said. “If the documents produced show that either police department has unlawful immigration policies on the books, we will take action as warranted to ensure compliance with state law.” 

On top of issuing the CIDs, Attorney General Rokita is currently suing the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department for its refusal to rescind its unlawful immigration policies and recently sent demand letters to officials in Lake and St. Joseph counties warning them of impending legal action if they fail to come into compliance with state law.  

Earlier this year, Attorney General Rokita sent similar letters to officials in the cities of East Chicago, Gary, and West Lafayette, which all worked to rescind their unlawful immigration policies to comply with state law after receiving these communications. 

Attorney General Rokita said his office will continue to evaluate other local governments. 

Duke Energy supports fellow first responder agencies with grants for emergency preparedness

• Emergency management agencies in Clark, Crawford, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Rush, Scott, Switzerland and Washington counties among those statewide receiving support 

INDIANAPOLIS – First responders statewide, including a local sheriff’s office and fire and emergency management agencies (EMAs) in southeast Indiana, will benefit from grants from the Duke Energy Foundation. The funding, which totals nearly $215,000 for organizations across the state, will help public safety agencies increase their response capabilities during severe weather and other emergencies through advanced preparation, planning, equipment and training.

“You don’t have to look any further than the severe midsummer storms that impacted our service territory in 2023 and 2024 to see how Duke Energy and local first responders consistently come together to assist our restoration efforts and help people get back on their feet,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana, during his remarks at the Emergency Management Alliance of Indiana’s annual conference in Indianapolis Oct. 16. “That’s why I’m so grateful that today we’re able to help equip our fellow first responders with the tools and training to handle whatever Mother Nature throws our way. In the end, it will help us build a more resilient state.” 

During major emergencies and natural disasters, local emergency management agencies play a critical role in providing information, resources and support that Duke Energy relies on to speed power restoration for its customers.

“Grants like these are key to helping smaller communities reduce their vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters,” said Reigna Zeigler, president of the Emergency Management Alliance of Indiana. “This funding from the Duke Energy Foundation will go a long way toward ensuring that our citizens are safer, our first responders are prepared, and our communities can recover from disasters quickly.”

In southeast Indiana, Duke Energy Foundation shareholder-funded grants were awarded to the following organizations:

• City of Rushville Fire Department (Rush County)

$5,000 in support of the purchase of a new Fire Prevention Safety Education House

• City of Seymour (Jackson County)

$4,000 to purchase foam response equipment for firefighters

• Clark County EMA

$3,140 to increase access to emergency and severe weather alerts for residents lacking smart cellphones or weather radios

• Decatur County Sheriff’s Department

$2,700 for communication accessories that will help provide a safe and secure environment for the county’s residents and visitors 

• Crawford County EMA

$3,500 for weather radios that will be distributed to citizens throughout the county, as well as new TV monitors in the emergency operations center 

• Fayette County EMA

$4,500 to buy an enclosed pull-behind trailer, as well as additional gear and equipment needed for law enforcement, the search and rescue team, and incident management team personnel

• Floyd County EMA

$3,076 for weather alert radios for the deaf community

• Franklin County EMA

$2,500 for items such as "go kits" (emergency vests, flashlights, boots, incident management supplies, printed maps), tablets for volunteers and staff to conduct damage assessments, a fuel canister and a portable battery for laptops

• Harrison County EMA

$3,140 to purchase supplies for classroom crisis kits to immediately treat injuries from any traumatic bleeding event in Harrison County schools

• Jackson County EMA

$2,500 in support of the build-out of the EMA’s response group, including new and updated equipment

• Jefferson County EMA

$3,100 to purchase disaster response and recovery equipment, including battery- powered chain saws and scene lighting 

• Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department (Decatur County)

$5,000 to purchase an off-road emergency response vehicle that will be outfitted to respond to multiple emergency call types to include search and rescue, EMS, and wildland fire

• Scott County EMA

$3,140 for scene lighting and hand lights to use to help search crews while looking for people or items

• Switzerland County EMA

$7,500 to buy water rescue and search recovery equipment

• Washington County EMA

$3,140 to help fund “Reverse 911,” which will allow the agency to better notify residents of pending dangers and provide lifesaving instructions

Duke Energy Foundation 
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 900,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.