FRANKFORT, Ky. — Federal prosecutors have given notice of their intent to introduce evidence of additional criminal acts in their fraud and theft case against suspended Pike County Circuit Judge Howard Keith Hall.

Hall was indicted back in April on two counts of mail fraud and one count of theft of government funds dating back to his time as county attorney. The indictment alleges he misused the county attorney’s office payroll to pay an assistant county attorney who did little or no work approximately $440,000 in salary and benefits. That assistant has since been identified as Michael Shane Hall in court filings.

In a new court filing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says Hall ran similar schemes with two others employed by the county attorney’s office.

The filing says Hall hired a family member, identified as “C.H.,” as a part-time legal secretary for years with minimal work and temporarily removed them from the payroll during election cycles.

Prosecutors also claim Hall funneled about $3,000 per month to a 2019 family court judge candidate, identified in the filing as “J.H.,” as a way to support his campaign without making direct contributions. Those payments stopped once that candidate lost the election, the notice says. That year, current Family Court Judge Kent Varney defeated Justin Cory Hamilton in the general election.

Prosecutors say the new evidence demonstrates a broader scheme to misuse public funds and shows intent behind the original charges.

“The defendant’s ability to use the Pike County Attorney’s Office payroll to provide unearned paychecks to a family member and falsely certify to the PAC that this individual was working is directly probative of the crime charged,” the filing says. “His removal of this individual during election time also reflects consciousness of guilt. The Defendant’s use of PCAO funds to support a candidate for public office with a paycheck is admissible for the same reasons.”

Prosecutors did not announce any intention of seeking additional charges against Hall at this time, saying only that they plan to introduce the claims as evidence of additional bad acts showing Hall’s “motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.”

A full copy of the court filing follows: