CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man, Stuart Dotson, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stuart Dotson, 56, of Mount Hope, worked with others to steal many pieces of specialized mining equipment from a local mine in 2019. These thefts forced the mine to shut down for a period of two weeks as the mine was unable to function without the stolen pieces of equipment. The thefts also resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the mine.
“My office takes the prosecution of mine theft cases very seriously,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “These crimes are devastating to both the victim companies and their employees. I applaud the investigation conducted by the FBI and the West Virginia State Police, and particularly commend First Lieutenant Anthony Perdue of the West Virginia State Police for his tireless work.”
Dotson faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 2, 2022.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00182.
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