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Morgantown Business Owner Caught in $1.96M Broadband Funding Scam
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Timothy Chad Henson, the owner of Clearfiber, Inc., an internet service provider in Monongalia County, has admitted to defrauding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) of $1.96 million in broadband funding.
Henson, 35, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty today to money laundering, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the USDA’s Community Connect Program offered grants to eligible applicants providing broadband services to rural areas. Henson applied and was awarded $1.96 million in USDA funding to offer high-speed internet services in Monongalia and Marion Counties.
But Henson didn’t stop there. He submitted false invoices to the USDA to receive more than $340,000, transferring $322,900 into another bank account for his personal use.
“This case is a prime example of the USDA’s efforts to improve rural broadband being exploited for personal gain,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the USDA Office of the Inspector General.
Henson’s sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors before rendering a verdict.
A U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided over the case, which is just the latest example of the corrupting influence of power and greed in our nation’s capital.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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