Biggs deer poaching hearing again continued, county suspension remains
Oct. 27—KEYSER, W.Va. — For the fourth time, a hearing has been postponed for defendant Christopher Biggs in West Virginia's largest deer poaching case.
In January, 223 charges involving at least 27 antlered bucks taken illegally in Mineral, Grant and Hampshire counties in West Virginia from mid-September to late December were filed against Biggs and seven other Keyser residents.
Biggs was charged with misdemeanors of spotlighting, hunting from a motor vehicle, having a loaded firearm in a vehicle and conspiracy.
Pretrial hearings scheduled for Biggs in April, May, July and again Wednesday were continued in Mineral County Magistrate Court.
"I feel that we need to get moving on," Grant County Magistrate Willard Earle II said Wednesday of the need to hold the hearing.
But Biggs' attorney, Dan James, requested 30 more days due to other "matters" he said were beyond his client's control.
Biggs had "every intent" to enter into a plea agreement Wednesday, James said and added there's a "distinct possibility" the matters could be resolved sooner than 30 days.
James did not elaborate on what the matters included.
The 30-day mark, however, would happen Thanksgiving week, which is when Earle will be deer hunting.
The magistrate talked of his traditional hunt and "missing the same buck for 15 years."
After all parties in the case discussed their schedules, the court set 9:30 a.m. Dec. 2 for Biggs to enter into a plea deal arranged between James and Rebecca Miller, the Hampshire County prosecuting attorney in the case.
"We'll let you know well in advance," James told Earle of details for the plea agreement. "The paperwork will be ready."
Two felony charges against Biggs — forgery and conspiracy to commit forgery — were dismissed April 8 in Mineral County Magistrate Court.
Biggs' upcoming court appearance is the last for all defendants in the poaching case.
'No change'
Biggs was appointed EMS chief of Maryland's Allegany County Department of Emergency Services in 2019.
He was suspended from his job for an "alleged violation of law," county officials said via press release after news of the deer poaching case broke in January.
At that time, county officials said Lt. Michael Salvadge would serve as acting EMS chief.
On Oct. 27, 2021, nearly three months before the poaching charges were made public, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1715 in Cumberland, which represents paid full-time firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, wrote a letter asking Allegany County officials to remove Biggs from his position as EMS chief for reasons including questionable integrity.
"We respectfully submit this letter as our official notice regarding a majority Vote of No Confidence," read the letter, which included allegations of weaponization of Quality Assurance, nepotism, repeated violation of Weingarten Rights, derogatory comments about employees to other employees and the public/patients, inability to implement policies fairly and effectively to all employees, and questionable ethics.
Allegany County officials said they would investigate the matter, and met with some of the union members to gather more information.
Now a year since the union sent the "no confidence" letter to the county, the investigation of the allegations against Biggs continues, and he is still suspended from his job without pay.
"There has been no change," Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said via email Wednesday.
Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.
