WV Barber Board Staffer Pilfered Fees

⏱ 2 min read

RELATED: Elderly Ripped Off: $5M Scam Lands DR National in US Jail

SEE ALSO: WV Barber Board Staffer Pilfers Fees

GAULEY BRIDGE, WV – Crystal Renee Severson, 45, admitted in federal court today to a five-year scheme ripping off applicants trying to become licensed nail technicians in West Virginia. Severson, a former administrative assistant with the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists, pleaded guilty to fraud relating to identification documents.

Between March 2016 and March 2022, Severson was responsible for processing license applications and the fees that came with them. But starting in August 2019, she started skimming. According to court records, Severson altered 20 money orders submitted by hopeful nail techs, swapping out the payee information for her mother’s name and address before depositing them into her own bank account.

The scheme ran until January 2022, when someone noticed the funny business. Severson confessed she didn’t bother asking her mother for permission, and that she pocketed a total of $1,855.00. She’s now facing up to five years in the slammer, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine – plus she’s on the hook to pay back every stolen dollar.

The IRS-Criminal Investigations unit and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations dug up the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Storage is handling the prosecution. Sentencing is slated for July 9, 2026, before Judge Thomas E. Johnston.