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Indiana State Police Confirm Active Investigation Into South Bend's Sharon McBride
- Logan Foster
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
Indiana State Police Confirm Active Investigation Into South Bend's Sharon McBride
Date: 02/26/25 Author: Logan Foster
Indiana State Police (ISP) have confirmed they are actively investigating allegations against Sharon McBride, a current member and former President of the South Bend Common Council (Democratic Representative, District 3). The investigation centers around a complaint asserting that McBride does not meet residency requirements for her elected position, as well as broader accusations of election fraud, tax fraud, and mortgage fraud.
Sergeant Bohner, ISP's Public Information Officer, provided the case number tied to the investigation, (25ISPC000535), and confirmed the case remains under active investigation. He could not share more beyond that at this time.
Allegations Under Investigation
Residency Concerns
McBride, first appointed to the District 3 seat in 2018 through a caucus process and recently elected during the May 2023 primary and November 2023 general elections, is alleged to have not resided within District 3 since September 2020. This was reportedly admitted during a legal deposition dated November 10, 2023. (see attached) Supporting documentation, including records of near-non-existent water usage and trash collection at her listed 3rd district address of 415 E Broadway Street, South Bend, IN, further support the property has been uninhabited.
Additionally, McBride has reportedly continued voting from her District 3 address, despite allegations that she has been living at her mother's residence in District 2 (2734 Prast Blvd, South Bend, IN).
Tax and Mortgage Fraud
Further allegations point to possible violations in tax and property-related matters:
Homestead Exemption Fraud: McBride stands accused of claiming a homestead exemption on the District 3 property, which she reportedly has not lived in for several years.
Mortgage Fraud: Concerns have been raised about McBride’s July 2024 refinancing of the same property at 415 E Broadway Street under mortgage terms requiring owner occupancy. Reports suggest the property has remained uninhabitable, and McBride has continued residing elsewhere (McBride also paid rent for many months for space in the 2nd district.)
Additional conflict-of-interest concerns have been brought to light regarding McBride’s professional ties to Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, involved in processing her mortgage refinance. Some allege that McBride's political role may have improperly influenced the loan approval process. **And questions of how an uninhabitable home passed regulated inspections and refinancing
Public Response and Calls for Transparency
The allegations, first brought to public attention by Redress South Bend's Logan Foster, have sparked widespread scrutiny about the ethical integrity of McBride's position. Foster formally requested an independent investigation, citing significant concerns about election integrity, financial propriety, and transparent governance.
Using information from various sources, Foster cumulated a detailed synopsis and shared it directly with ISP. The manifest highlights the reasons why McBride should be immediately removed from office, reimbursement of taxpayer funds, and further penalties if legal violations are confirmed by ISP.
McBride has not publicly commented to Redress South Bend on the allegations of our reporting or ISP's investigation.
For more updates on this story and related issues of governance, visit RedressSouthBend.com.