New Mountain State Fraud and Diversion Task Force Launched to Combat Crime in West Virginia

Federal prosecutors in West Virginia launched a joint task force to combat fraud across the state.

U.S. Attorneys Matthew L. Harvey and Moore Capito established the Mountain State Fraud and Diversion Task Force alongside federal, state, and local partners, justice.gov reported. The inaugural meeting took place at the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia, with plans for the group to meet bi-annually.

The initiative pairs federal prosecutors with local police departments and sheriff’s offices that often lack the specialized resources required for complex white-collar investigations, wvmetronews.com reported. Capito noted that fraud frequently wears a local disguise, pointing to prior recoveries from pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loans and subsequent tax fraud inquiries.

Fraud isn’t one billionaire losing a million dollars to another billionaire. There’s always a West Virginia spin to it and it’s happening right under our noses, Capito said, according to wvmetronews.com.

The U.S. Attorneys’ offices intend to shoulder the investigative burden to protect community taxpayer dollars. Such coordinated multi-district strategies aim to uncover widespread schemes spanning multiple state lines.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division to tackle public fraud, aligning with a White House executive order and the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by the Vice President.

During the Clarksburg meeting, representatives from the National Fraud Detection Center and the National Fraud Enforcement Division briefed local law enforcement on emerging investigative analytics and asset recovery resources. The task force also includes the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office.

Financial crimes deplete retirement savings and inflate everyday expenses for average citizens. Illicit schemes directly drive up healthcare bills and insurance premiums.

Fraud comes with too high a cost for the average American, and West Virginians work too hard to lose money to fraudsters, Harvey said, according to justice.gov. This task force will collaborate to fight fraud in every corner – from healthcare to insurance to tax to personal fraud. If you are scheming, we will find you, charge you, and convict you.