A $3.4 million fraud operation that diverted monies intended for classrooms and padded the coffers of a West Virginia school official is the subject of the charges.#WestVirginia #CharlestonWV #News #Crime
CHARLESTON, WVA — A former West Virginia school system maintenance director has been accused of defrauding the Boone County Board of Education of almost $3.4 million. Prosecutors claim the scam diverted resources during a time of dire need by misusing money intended for educators and pupils.
Multiple Fraud Charges Filed
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia announced that Michael David Barker, 47, was indicted on a number of charges, including one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, eleven counts of mail fraud, three counts of theft pertaining to programs receiving federal funds, and three counts of money laundering. On Wednesday, the indictment was made public.
According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Will Thompson, Mr. Barker exploited his position of power to profit himself at the expense of Boone County students during a period when the county’s schools were dealing with serious difficulties, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The indictment, which was made public today, aims to hold Mr. Barker accountable for his criminal activities after his scheme embezzled millions of desperately needed funds from our public schools.
For each conspiracy and mail fraud offense, Barker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; for each theft and money laundering count, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Details of the Alleged Scheme
Barker was Boone County Schools’ maintenance director from 2015 to November 2023. Ordering cleaning materials for the district was one of his duties. According to the indictment, Barker fabricated documents between November 2019 and November 2023 to give the impression that Rush Enterprises, a Kentucky-based business with an office in Kenova, West Virginia, had sent big shipments of goods to the Boone County Board of Education.
The majority of these orders, meanwhile, were never fulfilled. For instance, Barker allegedly provided invoices demonstrating that the district bought 4,993 containers of hand soap from Rush Enterprises in 2022 and 2023. In actuality, the district had to pay around $474,696 for products that were not delivered because only about 829 cases were received. Barker filed approximately $4 million worth of fake purchase orders and invoices.
The indictment listed Rush Enterprises’ operator, Jesse Marks, as an unindicted co-conspirator. According to the authorities, Barker received almost $2 million of the money that Marks and he divided from the fraudulent scam.
Officials Condemn Fraud s Impact
“This scheme not only defrauded the public of their money, but it also directly impacted the health, safety, and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our community: our children,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek, highlighting the scope of the alleged fraud. This person aimed to enrich himself rather than help teachers and make sure resources for pupils were available. The FBI and our partners are still dedicated to pursuing justice for victims and prosecuting those guilty.
The alleged acts were also denounced by West Virginia State Auditor JB McCuskey, who stated that Barker is not only accused of stealing much-needed cash from Boone County schools and their pupils, but also of stealing from all West Virginians and taxpayers nationwide. Under my leadership, our PIFU in local government has not allowed this kind of fraud, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to support our allies in the US Attorney’s Office in exposing this kind of behavior and sending a strong message that those who engage in it will face consequences.
Officials want to make sure that the children, teachers, and taxpayers affected by this purported scam receive justice as the judicial proceedings progress.
Associated Topics: West Virginia Crime
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