Delbarton resident sentenced for theft of government benefits

Sep. 9—Diana Cisco, 70, of Delbarton, was ordered Thursday to pay $46,356 in restitution for theft of government benefits and making materially false statements to federal agents.

Cisco was also placed on probation for five years, with the first six months to be served on home detention.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Cisco admitted that she received Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits on behalf of a deceased relative. From June 2016 to April 2020, Cisco received $46,356 in federal benefits that she was not entitled to receive and converted those funds to her own use.

Cisco admitted to providing false information to Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) special agents on March 4. Cisco initially denied who she was, falsely claiming to be her sister, and further informed the agents that Diane Cisco would be in Columbus, Ohio, for at least a month.

The federal agents uncovered the falsehood through checking vehicle registration records and photographs of Cisco and obtaining statements from individuals who had recently seen Cisco. Confronted again, Cisco admitted that she was not telling the agents the truth.

----Johnathon Earl Hamrick, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty Thursday to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

On Nov. 4, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Hamrick's residence and found more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to court records. Hamrick admitted to possessing the methamphetamine found at the residence as well as at a second location that Hamrick directed officers to in Wood County. Hamrick admitted that he intended to sell the methamphetamine to other people.

The methamphetamine seized from Hamrick was part of a 10-pound shipment that he received from John Michael Wells II. Hamrick admitted that he owed Wells $50,000 for the shipment. In October and November 2021, Hamrick conspired with Wells to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana that Wells obtained from California by mail. Hamrick admitted to selling the methamphetamine and marijuana and providing Wells with the cash proceeds. In turn, Wells would order more methamphetamine and marijuana from his suppliers with the proceeds.

Wells, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana on March 31 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Hamrick is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5 and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

----Matthew Ryan Hunt, 34, of Parkersburg, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on Sept. 9, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence complaint at Hunt's apartment. The officers forced entry after learning that shots had been fired inside the apartment. Hunt was found in a bedroom with a Smith & Wesson, model M&P 9 Shield, 9mm semi-automatic pistol next to him. Officers also found three additional firearms and more than 5,800 rounds of ammunition in a bedroom safe: an Anderson Manufacturing, model AM-15, semi-automatic rifle; a Savage, model Axis, .308-caliber semi-automatic rifle; and a Springfield, model XD45, .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.

A woman was also in the apartment. Swabs taken from her face and hands and from Hunt's face and hands all showed the presence of gunshot residue. Two spent shell casings found in the apartment were analyzed with assistance from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which indicated that the shells came from the firearm found next to Hunt.

Hunt admitted to possessing the four firearms.

----Monique Casto, 37, of Kenna, was sentenced Thursday to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining Social Security Administration benefits. Casto was also ordered to pay $41,166 in restitution.

According to court records, Casto unlawfully collected $41,166 in Social Security Survivor's Insurance Benefits payments on behalf of a child after losing custody of that child.

In March 2006, Casto began receiving benefits for the care of the child as the child's representative payee. Casto failed to disclose that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources took custody of the child in June 2015. Casto also failed to disclose that her parental rights were terminated in May 2016. Casto unlawfully collected benefits while continuing to represent that the child lived with her and in her care from June 2015 through August 2019.