West Virginia Supreme Court justice faces 395 years behind bars in federal fraud case

[Free Vulcan]

A West Virginia Supreme Court justice faces up to 395 years in prison and $5.5 million in fines after being hit with a 22-count indictment on numerous charges of fraud and corruption.

Allen H. Loughry II, a 47-year-old justice at the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, was charged by a federal grand jury on Wednesday with fraud, false statement, and witness tampering offenses.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/20/west-virginia-supreme-court-justice-faces-395-years-behind-bars-in-federal-fraud-case.html

[mountaineer]

I think he got bitten by the same bug as EPA's Scott Pruitt, the bug that makes a government official somehow believe he should be treated like royalty, both on and off the job.

[sneakypete]

I may be wrong,but MY best guess is "Professional Courtesy" will reign supreme,and at most he will be removed from office and face a suspended sentence and a small fine.

You can bet your bippy he wasn't operating in a vacuum. There were others involved,and most likely others that showed him the ropes. They will protect  him to protect themselves.

[mountaineer]

Another justice, Democrat Menis Ketchum, was busted along with Loughrey for driving a state vehicle for personal use. Not busted in the criminal charges sense (yet, anyway), but called out by a legislative auditor. I've read that auditor's report. Ketchum since has reimbursed the state.

Both of these justices have exhibited hubris, to say the least.

[mountaineer]

More of the W.Va. Supreme Court scandal:

WV court system built up millions in surplus, spent it down and built it up again
By Brad McElhinny in News | June 24, 2018 at 5:21PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Over just a few years, West Virginia’s court system built up a budget surplus of $29 million. Almost as quickly, while the Legislature was giving the Supreme Court the side eye, the court spent down the money to a few hundred thousand dollars.

Now the state Legislative Auditor is trying to figure out how the money built up and what was the motivation for spending it down so quickly. ...

The Legislative Auditor’s staff was looking at the issue of how justices were using state vehicles when they came across a memo that made them curious about the surplus that the Supreme Court had been running.

Auditors first became aware of the spend down when they were reviewing memos written by Justice Allen Loughry.

In an August 2016 memo to the other justices responding to their questions about his vehicle use, Loughry questioned the “depletion of the court’s so-called rainy day fund in the amount of $26 million.”  ...

Full story

[mountaineer]

The W.Va. House of Delegates has been holding impeachment hearings about suspended Justice Loughery for a couple of weeks now (another justice who might have been impeached, Ketchum, already has resigned, but the remaining three are not out of the woods). Good times. Here's the latest:

Impeachment could be reach a conclusion soon — followed by lots more steps
By Brad McElhinny in News | July 29, 2018 at 5:00PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Impeachment proceedings before the House Judiciary Committee may begin moving toward a conclusion.
John Shott

“I think we’re getting close to the point where we need to sit down as a committee and discuss what we’ve learned, try to develop some of understanding of the standards of the Constitution, perhaps even adopt some definitions and decide if we’re ready to move forward with recommendations to the full House,” said committee Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer.

That’s the short view.

The broad view is, there’s still a lot to process as the Legislature considers whether to impeach one or more state Supreme Court justices.  ... Rest of story

[Bigun]

WOW. 

[sneakypete]

The W.Va. House of Delegates has been holding impeachment hearings about suspended Justice Loughery for a couple of weeks now (another justice who might have been impeached, Ketchum, already has resigned, but the remaining three are not out of the woods). Good times. Here's the latest:

@mountaineer

Given this is West Virginia,there can be no doubt many are still accepting bids for their votes.

[catfish1957]

WOW.

I bet Supreme Court robes are all the kinky rage in Cell Block C these days....

[mountaineer]

A second shoe has dropped.

Former Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum agrees to guilty plea
By MetroNews in | July 31, 2018 at 7:19AM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart has called a news conference for 10 a.m. where he is expected to announce that former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum has agreed to plead guilty to a federal information.

An information is used by federal authorities when a defendant agrees to plead guilty and waives his right to an indictment.

Federal investigators have been looking into the spending practices of the State Supreme Court.  Justice Allen Loughry is already facing a 23 count indictment and has been suspended without pay.

Ketchum announced he would resign his seat July 11 after months of controversy surrounding the court. Ketchum is retiring, effective at the end of the business day this Friday.

Loughry has been suspended from the court following state and federal probes that focused on his use of state property and whether he was honest with investigators.

Ketchum was caught up in an investigation of the use of state vehicles by justices for personal gain. A legislative audit revealed that Ketchum should have indicated his use of the vehicles on his personal income tax returns but did not.  ...

WV Metro News

For the record, Loughry ran as a Republican, Ketchum as a Democrat. Corruption is bipartisan.

[catfish1957]

A second shoe has dropped.WV Metro News

For the record, Loughry ran as a Republican, Ketchum as a Democrat. Corruption is bipartisan.

And $10 still says he gets a country club private room after sentencing.

[sneakypete]

A second shoe has dropped.WV Metro News

For the record, Loughry ran as a Republican, Ketchum as a Democrat. Corruption is bipartisan.

@mountaineer

In other words,this hypocritical thief and liar that violated the public trust is being allowed to retire and keep his retirement pay and health care plan.

[dfwgator]

Don't drop the soap, bud.

[mountaineer]

What bugs me is that Mr. M's former boss,  also a WV state employee,  did what these judges did (x 25), and even though the U.S. Atty knew the details, no charges ever were filed.  That guy used state rresources to make movies starring his talentless teenaged daughter.   

[Bigun]

What bugs me is that Mr. M's former boss,  also a WV state employee,  did what these judges did (x 25), and even though the U.S. Atty knew the details, no charges ever were filed.  That guy used state rresources to make movies starring his talentless teenaged daughter.   

Couldn't possibly have been a democrat I suppose! /s

[mountaineer]

Couldn't possibly have been a democrat I suppose! /s

He once claimed to be R, then changed his voter registration to Independent.  Like I said, corruption can be bipartisan.

[Bigun]

He once claimed to be R, then changed his voter registration to Independent.  Like I said, corruption can be bipartisan.

There is zero doubt about that! 

[mountaineer]

Holy cow, the entire Supreme Court now is facing impeachment over their lavish spending for office remodeling. WV Metro News.

What's funny is the Democrats in the Legislature were all for this impeachment inquiry when it was only Justice Loughrey (Republican), but when the committee started looking at Democrats Davis and Workman (Democrat Ketchum already having resigned), they were all, "Hey now, let's take a moment to look at things carefully, just slow down a bit." I'm sure they didn't mind going after the other Republican, Walker, however. 

[mountaineer]

Wow. 

Delegates vote to impeach all four remaining WV Supreme Court justices
By Brad McElhinny in News | August 07, 2018 at 7:53PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Making West Virginia political history, the House Judiciary Committee has voted in favor of impeachment articles for all four remaining members of the state Supreme Court.

Only former Justice Menis Ketchum was spared because he announced his resignation the day before impeachment proceedings were set to begin.

“It’s really a sad day for the state, and nobody should be celebrating,” House Judiciary Chairman John Shott, R-Mercer, said Tuesday at the end of a nine-hour day of impeachment consideration.

“I think the overwhelming evidence we saw was there was an atmosphere of entitlement and cavalier disregard for the expenditure of taxpayer money. It’s unfortunate the entire court seems to be infected by that atmosphere. We felt like we had no choice but to recommend the impeachment for each justice.”

Impeachment of any kind is a rarity. The last West Virginia political figure to be impeached was Treasurer A. James Manchin, who resigned before being tried in the Senate in 1989. ... Full story

Yes, you recognize that name. A. James is Sen. Joe Manchin's uncle and fellow Democrat.

[sneakypete]

The impeached the whole damn court!~

I have to admit,I am admiring the hell out of the people of West Virginia about now.

[mountaineer]

I have to admit,I am admiring the hell out of the people of West Virginia about now.

And they say don't mess with Texas!

[mountaineer]

This State Is Impeaching Its Entire Supreme Court, Maybe They’re Onto Something
Posted at 3:30 pm on August 7, 2018 by streiff

West Virginia is the butt of a lot of jokes, some of them undeserved, but there is something happening there right now that could be a useful lesson for the GOP caucus in Congress. The West Virginia legislature has forced one member of the West Virginia Supreme Court from the bench and seems poised to send the rest packing.
 

  The West Virginia House of Delegates Judiciary Committee has drafted 14 articles of impeachment against the four sitting justices on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.     â€¦
    Each justice is charged with “unnecessary and lavish” spending of state dollars to renovate their offices in the East Wing of the Capitol.  ...

Though most of this derives from garden variety graft and corruption, it is significant that the legislature pulled on its big-boy pants and did what the state Constitution requires them to do without waiting on law enforcement to indict some of these people and force them from the bench that way. I doubt that the US Congress, faced with the same situation, could sack up and do this.

I think it is a mark of shame on the US Congress that it doesn’t use impeachment more often. Too often the talk gets bogged down on what exactly are “high crimes and misdemeanors.” As impeachment is a political and not a judicial act, wearing white shoes after Labor Day is an impeachable offense if a majority of the House of Representatives says it is. Eric Holder and Susan Rice should have been impeached in the last administration.  ...  Read the rest at Red State

[sneakypete]

This State Is Impeaching Its Entire Supreme Court, Maybe They’re Onto Something
Posted at 3:30 pm on August 7, 2018 by streiff

  Though most of this derives from garden variety graft and corruption, it is significant that the legislature pulled on its big-boy pants and did what the state Constitution requires them to do without waiting on law enforcement to indict some of these people and force them from the bench that way. I doubt that the US Congress, faced with the same situation, could sack up and do this.

@mountaineer

Does ANYONE seriously expect LEO's,whose bosses are ALL political appointees or beholding to the party that helped them get elected,to actually indict and arrest sitting state SC justices?

Talk about a "He Man Career Ender"! While the sitting and surviving politicians may slap them on the back and  congratulate them in public if they did,you can bet your bippy they will immediately go back to their offices and start sharpening knives to stick in their backs because they have "just proven they can't be trusted".

[mountaineer]

UPDATE:

Jury finds Loughry guilty on 11 counts, not guilty on 10 counts, hangs on 1 count
By Brad McElhinny in News | October 12, 2018 at 4:11PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After more than two days of deliberations, a federal jury returned verdicts Friday afternoon in the case of suspended West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry.

Loughry was convicted on 11 counts and acquitted on ten counts.  The jury was hung and could not reach a verdict on a single count.

Initial information Loughry was found guilty of one count of mail fraud, one count of witness tampering, two counts of making false statements and seven counts of wire fraud.

MetroNews Statewide Correspondent Brad McElhinny described Loughry as “stoic” as the verdicts were read.

This story will be updated.

Sentencing for Loughry was scheduled for Jan. 16, 2019.  ...  More

[Frank Cannon]

LOL. This dude is going to do a couple hundred years of hard time because he used his company car for errands and using some musty old desk worth about $20 at an estate sale.