Ketchum Charged with Wire Fraud

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – A former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice has been charged with a serious crime.

Menis E. Ketchum II, 75, was charged by Information with wire fraud, a federal offense that carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

The alleged scheme involved Ketchum’s repeated personal use of a State of West Virginia vehicle and State fuel credit card over the course of 2011 through 2014. The Information relates to Justice Ketchum’s use of these state resources to travel from his home in Huntington, West Virginia to and from a private golf club in western Virginia.

According to the charges, the roundtrip mileage for each of these golf outings was approximately 400 miles, costing the taxpayers of West Virginia approximately $220 per trip.

U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Legislative Commission on Special Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division.

‘Throughout this investigation and including today’s filing of a federal information against Justice Ketchum, the system worked,’ said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. ‘This is not a sad day for West Virginia but, rather, a day in which our citizens should be comforted. We are now one step closer to ending the crisis of this court.’

‘West Virginians deserve public officials they can trust and who will represent them honestly and fairly,’ said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nick Boshears. ‘The public needs to know they can have the highest confidence those who violate their trust will be held accountable.’

Please note: An Information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.