Brian Matthews, a 52-year-old former co-owner of the F45 studio at Carmel’s Clay Terrace, is headed to jail after pleading guilty to domestic battery, with a Hamilton County judge sentencing him this week to one year. The 365-day term comes with almost all of the time suspended and only a short executed stint behind bars. Matthews, who lives in Noblesville, was arrested in December and ordered to complete evaluations as part of his sentence. The case has drawn notable attention locally because of Matthews’ ties to the well-known fitness studio.
Hamilton County Judge William Hughes imposed a 365-day sentence, with four days executed and 361 days suspended, after Matthews pleaded guilty earlier this month. He was arrested in December 2025 on allegations that included felony strangulation and two counts of domestic battery. Under the plea agreement, the state dropped the strangulation charge and one count of battery. Matthews spent two days in the Hamilton County Jail after his arrest and received two days of good-time credit, per state statute, and he is barred from contacting his ex-wife while serving his sentence, according to Current Publishing.
Gym Ties at Clay Terrace
F45 Training operates inside Carmel’s Clay Terrace shopping center and remains listed in the center’s directory as an active studio. The Clay Terrace listing includes the studio’s contact details and hours for local members. The business' local page shows the space remains available for classes and bookings, per the Clay Terrace directory at Clay Terrace.
Defendant's Statement
Matthews issued a brief statement saying he did not want the matter relitigated in public and that “the initial public reporting had a profound impact on both my personal and professional life.” He said he believed medical evidence did not support the most serious allegations and that, after consulting with counsel, he chose a plea to limit uncertainty for his family. He added that his focus now is on completing the court’s requirements and rebuilding his career. Current Publishing also notes the partners sold the F45 business in April.
What the Charges Mean
Under Indiana law, strangulation is a separately codified felony under the state code, and domestic-battery offenses involving family or household members are covered by IC 35-42-2-1.3. Those provisions allow prosecutors to file overlapping counts and can increase penalties depending on injury or prior convictions. Within that framework, plea deals in domestic cases often involve dropping or reducing some counts in exchange for suspended time or treatment conditions. See the statutory summaries on Justia and the compiled strangulation text at IndianaCrime.com for the code language.
Independent local coverage of the sentencing remains limited, with the Current Publishing account serving as the most detailed local report we located. Official case dockets for Hamilton County are searchable through the Indiana Courts MyCase portal, though a full public docket entry for this case was not visible via the state’s search when checked for this story. See Indiana Courts MyCase to search for filings or further updates.
