Bobby Shirley, Civil Rights Violations, West Virginia 2010

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – In a shocking turn of events, three agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were recognized for their outstanding work in exposing the crimes of two former West Virginia sheriffs and a woman who embezzled over $1.3 million from a race track.

According to sources, FBI Special Agent Dave Rauser was honored for his work in exposing the civil rights violations committed by former Jefferson County (WV) Sheriff Bobby Shirley that led to Shirley’s resignation, conviction, and prison sentence.

Shirley, who was convicted of civil rights violations, was sentenced to prison, but the exact date and length of the sentence were not specified. The investigation revealed that Shirley had committed egregious civil rights violations, leading to his downfall. The exact date of the crime was not specified, but it is believed to have occurred in 2008.

Meanwhile, the former bookkeeper at the Mountaineer Racetrack, Anita Ambler, was convicted by a federal jury trial last year on 11 counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, and four counts of transacting in criminal proceeds. Ambler was involved in the theft of over $1.3 million from an account that was being maintained by Mountaineer Race Track and Casino on behalf of the Horsemen’s Association. Ambler presently is serving an 87-month prison sentence, as of 2015.

The U.S. Attorney Awards ceremony was held in Wheeling, West Virginia, and included remarks from U.S. District Court Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. and the presence of many local, state, and federal law enforcement leaders from throughout West Virginia.

The ceremony honored the outstanding work of several agents, including FBI Special Agent Frederick Aldridge, who investigated former Barbour County Sheriff John Hawkins, who resigned and recently pleaded guilty to charges related to the filing of a false insurance claim. Hawkins is free on bond pending a sentencing hearing.

Other recipients of awards included retired DEA Special Agent Robert L. Manchas, who received the U.S. Attorney Award for Distinguished Service, and the Greater Harrison County (WV) Drug Task Force, which received the U.S. Attorney Award for the investigation of “Hot Stuff, Cool Things,” a synthetic drug retailer from Clarksburg. The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force also received a U.S. Attorney Award for its investigation of a drug trafficking organization from Chicago.

Related Federal Cases