West Virginia Supreme Court justice indicted
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In public, West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry gave speeches about honesty and integrity in government. In private, federal prosecutors say, he was raking in money by defrauding others.
FBI agents arrested Loughry on Wednesday morning and took him to the federal courthouse in Charleston to face a 22-count federal indictment.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart said Loughry, who was suspended from the bench earlier this month, is charged with 16 counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of witness tampering and three counts of making false statements to a federal agent. The indictment says his fraud scheme began in 2013, shortly after he was elected.
“It’s a solemn day for West Virginia,” Stuart said. “The West Virginia Supreme Court should be and must be above reproach, even above the slightest appearance of impropriety.”