CHARLESTON (AP) — A West Virginia county commissioner is expected to plead guilty next month to a federal charge arising from an election fraud investigation.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston has set an Aug. 8 plea hearing for Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey Jr.
Prosecutors allege Ramey lied to an FBI agent about absentee ballot applications. The case stems from a conspiracy to sway Lincoln County’s 2010 Democratic primary with fraudulent absentee ballots.
Then-Sheriff Jerry Bowman pleaded guilty to a role in that conspiracy. Then-County Clerk Donald Whitten pleaded guilty to lying to an investigator. Both officials resigned as a result of those charges. They face sentencing Aug. 29.
Court filings link Ramey to the 2010 scheme. These filings also suggest that the 32-year-old Democrat has negotiated a plea agreement with prosecutors.
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