Dennis Tyler

Dennis Tyler (born December 4, 1942) is an American politician who formerly served as the mayor of Muncie, Indiana. On November 18, 2019, he was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with theft of government funds.[1] He is scheduled to stand trial in 2020, his mayoral term having expired on January 1.[2]

Dennis Tyler
33rd Mayor of Muncie, Indiana
In office
January 1, 2012 – January 1, 2020
Preceded bySharon McShurley
Succeeded byDan Ridenour
Member of the Indiana House of Representatives
from the 34th district
In office
December 30, 2005 – December 28, 2011
Preceded byR. Tiny Adams
Succeeded byMichael White
Personal details
Born (1942-12-04) December 4, 1942
Muncie, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Vickie Tyler
OccupationPolitician

Career

Tyler grew up on the south side of Muncie and is a graduate of Muncie Central High School. He served as a Line Captain for the Muncie Fire Department before retiring after 42 years of service. On January 4, 2006, he was sworn into office as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, elected as the Democratic Party candidate. He represented District 34 for six years. Tyler served on committees that focused on veteran's affairs, public safety, employment labor, pensions, roads, transportation, autism, and government reform.

During his tenure in the House, Tyler was an advocate for victims of violent crimes, introducing legislation that in the absence of a will, no share of a deceased person's estate should go to a parent convicted of killing the other parent. Tyler resigned from the Legislature in December 2011 to assume the duties of Mayor, effective January 1, 2012.

Tyler and his administration re-opened two fire stations, consolidated animal control, re-initiated summer programming in the parks, graded more than 30 lane miles of roads and 70 alleys, presented more than 50 proclamations, received almost $8 million in grants, and announced nearly 100 new jobs and over $3.2 million in new payroll, representing over $30 million in new capital investment.

Tyler has been active in many community organizations, including United Way, the Knights of Pythias, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He has been the Chairman of the Labor and Industry Board of the NAACP since 2010.

Tyler did not run for re-election in 2019, and at year-end was succeeded by Republican Dan Ridenour, a member of the Muncie City Council and financial officer.[3][4]

Arrest

On November 18, 2019, Tyler was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at his home, based upon corruption allegations. The federal probe revealed bid-rigging, mail and wire fraud, fraudulent bids, money laundering, and other organized crime schemes that drained the city of funds. Six others were previously arrested as part of the probe into Tyler's administration, including his appointed building commissioner, Craig Nichols.[5] Prior to his arrest, Tyler and his administration had been under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana since 2016.[6] Tyler is expected to stand trial on August 10, 2020.[7]

References
  1. "FBI arrests Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler on theft of government funds charge". Fox59 News. November 18, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  2. Walker, Douglas (November 19, 2019). "Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler's trial set for January, but delay seems likely". Muncie Star Press. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  3. Ohlenkamp, Corey (January 11, 2019). "Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler announces he is not running in 2019". Muncie Star Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  4. Ohlenkamp, Corey (November 5, 2019). "Dan Ridenour cruises to mayoral win in 2019 election". Muncie Star Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  5. Walker, Douglas; Ohlenkamp, Corey (November 18, 2019). "Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler arrested by FBI agents". Muncie Star Press. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  6. Dahir, Abdi Latif; Diaz, Johnny (November 18, 2019). "F.B.I. Arrests Dennis Tyler, Mayor of Muncie, Indiana". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  7. Walker, Douglas. "Ex-Muncie Mayor Tyler's theft trial rescheduled for August". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-03-29.


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