WV Barber Board Staffer Skimmed Fees

⏱ 3 min read

Gauley Bridge, WV – Crystal Renee Severson, 45, admitted in federal court she was quietly robbing the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists. For nearly two years, from August 2019 through January 2022, Severson, an administrative assistant, siphoned off over $1,855 in application fees, lining her own pockets. It wasn’t a sophisticated scheme, but it worked for a while.

The scam cracked open when an applicant spotted a red flag: a $100 money order with the legitimate payee scratched out and replaced with Severson’s mother’s name. Investigators quickly learned the money landed in Severson’s bank account – without her mother ever knowing. That single altered money order proved to be the tip of the iceberg.

IRS-Criminal Investigations and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations dug deeper, uncovering a total of 20 fraudulently deposited money orders. Severson confessed to altering each one, diverting funds intended for state licensing into her personal accounts. A classic small-time hustle gone wrong.

Severson is scheduled for sentencing on July 9, 2026. She’s looking at a potential five-year stretch in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Plus, she’ll have to repay the $1,855 she stole. A tidy sum for a betrayal of public trust.