Investigations

April 29, 2010, former West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) engineering technician, Gwen Conley, pled guilty to interference with commerce by extortion, otherwise known as a Hobbs Act. While employed by WVDOT, Conley asked for, and later received, money from a business responsible for temporary erosion control so that Conley could falsely claim that the business was performing more erosion control services than they actually were, defrauding the state and federal government. The business owner approached the West Virginia State Police and agreed to work as a cooperating individual.

Attached is the press release from the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.