http://www.statejournal.com/story/26270737/wv-division-of-highways-supervisor-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-federal-investigator (http://www.statejournal.com/story/26270737/wv-division-of-highways-supervisor-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-federal-investigator)
USA is sniffing around the state Equipment Division. In WV all equipment is both paperworked and heavy maintained at a central location near Buckhannon, rather than at the District level or where all the other HQ functions are (Charleston). USA raided the place back about a year ago, hauled off all the records. This is the first guy to fall. Eventually somebody will take the fall for the pols.
So this is all about the garage fixing a surplus dump truck that someone bought at an auction? Hardly seems worthy of a federal investigation, if you ask me.
But the big takeaway from this is: When investigators start asking questions, they already know the facts. They're just looking for confirmation of them. You're better off either taking the Fifth Amendment or telling the truth. Lying will always come back to bite you in the end.
That is just what the guy pled to. That is how the feds work. You plead guilty to one of the 10000 things you did, so the sentencing guidelines only zap you for the one count.
It is about 100s of 1000s of pieces of equipment of all kinds that the DOH has no record of where it actually is.
Quote from: SP Cook on August 31, 2014, 05:46:24 PM
It is about 100s of 1000s of pieces of equipment of all kinds that the DOH has no record of where it actually is.
I figured there was probably more to it than what those short stories pointed out, but the news reports didn't include the back story. I'm sure the general public knows what's going on but the media can't get anyone with privilege (qualified or absolute) to confirm what the investigation's about.
Small potatoes. Try Illinois, where the Feds are sniffing around IDOT and its connections with the governor.