BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Nicholas County man was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be served on home confinement, for fraudulently obtaining a line of credit.
According to court documents, James Woods, Jr., 48, of Craigsville, was sentenced to the one year to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Woods pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud in December 2021, admitting he applied for the line of credit under the name of a construction business he did not own. Woods admitted to the court that he did not have permission from the owner of the business to apply for the line of credit at this store to lease commercial construction equipment. The credit application was transmitted to Cross Lanes and eventually out of West Virginia where it was approved for $10,000. Woods then used the line of credit to lease a CASE Model 850 bulldozer and it was delivered to a jobsite that Woods controlled.
Once the owner of the business learned about the fraudulent line of credit, the equipment rental store was contacted and the bulldozer was recovered by the West Virginia State Police and the equipment provider.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and credited the investigative work of the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, which uncovered the fraud in conjunction with a larger fraud investigation. The West Virginia State Police also helped with the equipment recovery.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Kathleen Robeson handled 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. 5:20-cr-00001.
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